September 1, 2008

Dr. Wood:
Thank you so much for remembering me with a high opinion and good luck with all your students.  Don’t give up trying to make a difference, because I know you made a difference in my life.
To your students:
I chose to apply to the United States Air Force Academy because I wanted to challenge myself.   I was blessed with the talent to breeze through middle school and most of high school in the class room and the band room.  During my time at the Academy I have been pushed beyond all physical and mental limitation I thought I had.  I’ve found all the challenge I could have ever wanted and wished sometimes that I didn’t want it in the first place.  But after two years here I’ve realized I didn’t need this place to challenge myself.  I’ve realized no external motivation, no institution, no instructor and no not even a director can be as powerful as my own drive to excel.  I am not saying these things are not important to your success, but that you will always be able to push yourself harder than you let anyone else.
This is my advice to you: find your own internal drive, find your own desire to excel, find it and use it to become the person you want to be.  I’ve been told that what you become depends on what you learn outside the classroom and I couldn’t agree more.  If you think school is boring or the music you’re playing isn’t fun, find something to learn that you like because more likely than not what you like is what you’re best at.   And when you just don’t feel like doing your school work, remember the work you put into your classes and the time you spend practicing your instrument is work and time toward your future.  In the last two years I have flown in an unpowered two man glider, jumped freefall out of an airplane five times, spent two days surfing on a beach in Hawaii on the Air Force’s dime and ridden in the backseat of an F-15 during a fighter maneuvering training mission.  The Air Force has taken me places I never dreamed I’d see, yet I tell you some of you will go even farther.  But you have to find your own motivation to put the work in now so that you will have the future you desire.

Very Respectfully,

Cadet TSgt John L Cox
Major Training Events NCO
Squadron Support NCO
Cadet Squadron 16
“Proud ChickenHawks”
United States Air Force Academy