Genevieve Pace, one
of three Air Force JROTC Cadets of the Year of the year for Pine Creek, is
headed to Texas A&M in the fall where she will participate in Air Force
ROTC while pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering before joining either the
Air Force or Space Force.
Genevieve first learned she was skilled at math in
elementary school. "In fourth grade I got the highest score in the grade
on the state test and I thought, 'Oh, I'm good at this. I should keep it up!'
" Success in math eventually led to an interest in STEM. "The entire
world runs on math, you know? It's just kind of crazy! It's just so big and
wide and covers so many concepts."
While in high school Genevieve enjoyed
participating in both JROTC and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). "In CAP I was
able to become the Basic Training Flight Commander which means you help new
cadets get set up for success within the normal squadron. Most of them (new
cadets) are twelve." Twelve is the youngest age participants in CAP can
be. "In contrast, in JROTC I was working with a bunch of seventeen and
eighteen year olds who were all deciding their futures. The variety of people
was just interesting."
When asked what her favorite classes were at Pine
Creek, Genevieve indicated that she had loved all of her math classes, especially
BC Calc with Mr. Adams. "That was just so fun! I felt like I knew what I
was doing going in, but knew even more after I was done," she said.
"Peer tutoring was also a very rewarding class, actually. Seeing kids go from not understanding a
concept to suddenly getting it, their grades rising, and then being happier to
come in and see you was such a neat experience!"
What is Genevieve's
ultimate goal? Excited about having the opportunity to be at the forefront of
making advancements in space as well as being part of the next steps in
innovation, Genevieve aspires to eventually become an astronaut.
When deciding
your own path, Genevieve recommends the following: "Try as many things as
you can! Always be thinking of the present and the future at the same time. I
know plenty of people who think freshman year doesn't matter, but colleges only
get a look at freshmen, sophomore, and junior year. Definitely treat every year
like you're working towards a goal. Even if you don't know what that goal is,
put in the hard work and always do well in class. Oh, and take advantage of
the friendly environment at Pine Creek. If you need help, everyone at Pine
Creek is here to help!"