Graduate Abigail LeBlanc has been a high achiever wherever she goes. Recently, she has proved her hard work and dedication after being accepted into the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

Although she’s from a family with some military history, LeBlanc hadn’t considered a career in that field. While attending a magnet school before moving to Wyoming, she majored in forensic science and participated in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC). 

“So originally, I was like ‘I don’t know what JROTC is. I don’t have an interest in the military, but I don’t want to take PE,’” LeBlanc said. “So I decided to go with JROTC. Best decision of my life.”

She grew to love JROTC, and her many years in the program helped her solidify her decision to apply to the Air Force Academy. LeBlanc started to fill out paperwork during January of her junior year, and from there, the acceptance process was long and rigorous. She had to write multiple essays, take a physical fitness test, and attend many interviews. 

“Two of those interviews were with direct officers with the academy,” LeBlanc said. “The other three interviews were with Senator Lummis, Congresswoman Hageman, and Senator Barrasso.”

LeBlanc received a nomination from Lummis, Hagman, and Barrasso. Her hard work paid off, and she was accepted in early May. This was especially formidable because the acceptance rate for the academy is around 11%. 

“It’s quite impressive,” LeBlanc’s sister and sophomore Allison LeBlanc said. “They only take two students out of Wyoming each year, and she got selected as one of them, which is super amazing.” 

She will begin basic training in June, a six-week program that all new recruits attend. With the help of guidance counselors, she will then plan out the rest of her college career and military service.

“This will be at least the next twelve years of my life,” LeBlanc said. “I have four at the academy, and then I have two when I go to law school, and then I have six more after that.”

LeBlanc is leaving many positive influences in her wake at PHS. In addition to starting a JROTC program at PHS, she also had a successful wrestling season, despite it being her first year of competing. 

“She started coming to open mats and putting in a lot of time last summer, and she had a really successful season,” Wrestling Coach and history teacher Nick Fulton said. “I think spending time in the [wrestling room] helped her develop a little bit of self-reliance, but I think she had a lot of the makings of that prior to wrestling.”

The road will be long, but LeBlanc is taking it one step at a time. After completing the first obstacle, getting accepted, she is looking forward to the new challenges ahead. 

“I’m super nervous for basic, but we’ll see how it goes,” LeBlanc said. “It’s exciting to start the next chapter of my life, even though I feel like I just started a new one when I moved here.”