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May 20, 2005/Iyar 11 5765, Volume 57, No. 38
Local teen selected for Air Force seminar
BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN
Special to Jewish News
When it comes to his post-high-school dreams, local Jewish teenager Jason Bohanske is aiming high.
Bohanske, a 17-year-old Scottsdale resident, was recently selected from approximately 2,000 high school-age students worldwide to attend the United States Air Force Academy's Summer Seminar.
The North Canyon High School junior also hopes his participation in the prestigious program might help propel him into the academy after he graduates next year, with the goal of becoming an officer and fighter pilot.
"I've always wanted to fly ever since I was a little kid," says Bohanske, a member of Temple Chai. "And around the sixth or seventh grade, while I'd always been interested in military flying, I decided that after high school I was most interested in the Air Force Academy because it offered not only great academics, but the best opportunity to become an officer."
Bohanske was notified last month that he was chosen to attend the weeklong program from June 17-23 at the facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., where participants are given the chance to experience the academy's environment. The program includes academic workshops on subjects ranging from rocket propulsion to engineering, as well as some physical and military training.
The selection is just one of many accomplishments for Bohanske, who is also enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program at North Canyon, and is a member of the National Honor Society, March of Dimes Club, Spanish Honor Society, and Physics Club. He has also lettered in both band and track and became an Eagle Scout in 2001.
Susan Purstell, director of admissions, plans and programs for the academy, says achievements such as these help students like Bohanske survive a "very competitive" application process, with thousands of students applying to obtain one of 800 total spots offered during two separate seminars.
In addition to an excellent academic record, Purstell says, organizers take a variety of other factors into account, including students' leadership skills, civic activities and athleticism.
"When screening applicants, there is an effort to find those who are both well-rounded and involved in the community - the same level of students that will come to the academy and succeed," she says. "Basically we're looking for the best of the best."
Bohanske hopes this honor is one of many steps towards his goal.
While Purstell admits attendance in the program does not factor into getting into the Academy, she says it might help in obtaining a nomination from one of Arizona's 10 Congressional members, the "toughest portion" of the institution's admission process, which also includes leadership, academic and physical standards.
Besides preparing himself scholastically, Bohanske says he spends countless hours working out at the gym, as well as researching the latest information on aerospace engineering and avionics.
But if his bid is unsuccessful, Bohanske says he will try obtaining a degree from a school with a "decent" aeronautical engineering program, like the University of Washington or the University of Texas at Austin, before applying to the academy again.
"It's a pretty tough situation," says Bohanske. "But I've always wanted to become more than just another commercial pilot."
Benjamin Leatherman is a freelance writer in Tempe.
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