A Manhattan teen will not have as much time to celebrate as her classmates after they graduate from Lincoln-Way West High School this May.
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Senior Teresa Kozak was accepted to the U.S. Air Force Academy and reports in June.
“I’m very excited at this whole opportunity and very humbled I’ve been given the opportunity to serve my country,” Kozak said. “All of the applicants are very qualified and I’m honored to serve along side them.”
The application process is extensive, she said. In addition to providing and initial questionnaire, school transcripts and ACT scores, Kozak also had a physical test, a medical exam, wrote three essays, conducted a personal interview, and sought out three letters of recommendation.
Admission also requires a nomination from a U.S. senator or congressman, which has its own application process, she said. Congressman Bobby Rush sponsored Kozak.
Kozak has been involved with Lincoln-Way’s Air Force Junior ROTC and was appointed group commander, which is the highest ranking cadet in the program. With a 4.838 grade point average, she is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Kitty Hawk Air Society, Latin Honor Society, and the Junior Classical League.
She took first place at state and tenth at nationals in the Sons of the American Revolution Outstanding JROTC Cadet Essay Contest.
“The whole experience in JROTC really prepares you,” Kozak said in a statement released by the school. “It teaches you drill and ceremony, military customs and courtesies.”
The process leading up to the academy is a journey Kozak has planned for a long time, she said. For example, the application requires good grades starting in freshman year, she said. Her parents, she said, have been a tremendous help. Her father, Edward Kozak, a computer programmer, and her mother, Erin Kozak, have been “so supportive,”
she said.
“I couldn’t have asked for better parents,” she said. “It’s been a journey.”
Her mother called Kozak’s acceptance “bittersweet.”
“This was just something that has been on her heart for many years and we prayed our way through it and discerned it,” Erin Kozak said.
Though neither of Kozak’s parents were in the military, she said she was influenced by her mother’s dad, who served in the Army, and her father’s dad, who served in the Navy, she said.
Kozak was recognized at the Lincoln-Way Senior Citizen Breakfast on March 10.
“I would like to congratulate Miss Kozak for achieving her goal of being appointed to the United States Air Force academy,” Superintendent Scott Tingly said at the breakfast. “Teresa, we are very proud of all of your accomplishments at Lincoln-ay and look forward to see your continued success. Congratulations!”
Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.