Over 200 new USAFA Cadets in need of sponsor families
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The United States Air Force Academy Cadet Sponsor Program is searching for hundreds of sponsor parents for its new Class of 2029 Cadets.
As of Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson with the program told KRDO they still need over 200 sponsor parents or families for cadets from across the country and world. The program pairs volunteers up with cadets who might need a little extra support throughout their four years at the academy since they come from far away and don't have many friends or family here in Colorado.
We spoke with one cadet who says his relationship with his sponsor family will last far beyond his time at the academy.
"They'll be at my wedding," Cadet First Class Jonah Brown who's originally from Washington State told KRDO. "We play cornhole on the weekends all the time, barbecue - just talking and hanging out."
Cadet Brown told us it's nice to have a place to decompress.
“As a cadet you’re experiencing a lot of demand," he said. "It’s a lot of rigor with academics [and] military training.”
Emma Griffin, Coordinator of the USAFA Cadet Sponsor Program, says pretty much anyone over the age of 28 who passes a background check can become a sponsor.
Griffin told KRDO there's a wide variety of sponsor families including former military, active duty and civilian families. She says the diverse sponsor pool coincides well with the vast array of cadets who need them.
"There's all different cadets from different backgrounds and cultures," Griffin explained.
