Garcia: Thank you, Pueblo, for helping my son become the leader he is today
Just a few days ago, I found myself sitting close to my phone, eagerly anticipating a call from my oldest son, Jeremiah Garcia. At the end of May, Jeremiah will graduate from the United States Air Force Academy and as I waited on the details of the upcoming ceremony, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with feelings of both pride and excitement for everything he has achieved during his time at the Academy. The young man I dropped off at the Academy several years ago will graduate as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States military in just a few short days, an accomplishment that is only possible thanks to the amazing family and community that raised Jeremiah.
Born and raised in Pueblo, Jeremiah Garcia graduated from Pueblo County’s School of Engineering and Biomedical Science in 2019 and was accepted into both the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy shortly after. A Colorado kid at heart, Jeremiah wasted no time in joining a squadron of Fighting Falcons. Like every kid that has the privilege of growing up in southern Colorado, the Academy always loomed large in Jeremiah’s life. Known for its academic rigor and regarded as a place that builds strong character, the Academy is a demanding place for a young adult and Jeremiah chose this renowned institution as his alma mater knowing it would require a high level of commitment, determination, and discipline.
During his time at the Academy, Jeremiah not only excelled as a leader in academics, he also earned his jump wings, an accomplishment that requires several solo jumps from 4,500 feet, self-deploying his own parachute. He was the only cadet selected from his senior class to intern with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Washington D.C. where he studied nuclear blast research and geotechnical engineering. When Jeremiah Graduates from the Academy on May 30, 2024, he will have earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and will continue his education as a graduate student at the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
As I sit down to write this piece honoring my son’s accomplishments, I am beaming with pride. But Jeremiah’s accomplishments are more than just a reflection of his hard work and commitment to public service and excellence. His graduation ceremony celebrates him as well as the contributions that his family and community have made in his life to get him to this point.
Myself and my two brothers all served in the United States Marine Corps and deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism, my brother Evan served in Afghanistan while my brother Jake and I served in Iraq. Jeremiah’s grandfather and uncles served in the United States Air Force and the United States Army in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Irrespective of the uniform, watching Jeremiah follow in the footsteps of those who came before him gives me so much pride and joy because it demonstrates his understanding of the value of service to your community and your country.
It is frequently said that it takes a village to raise a child, and as I look at Jeremiah and his accomplishments, I understand how true that is. From a young age, our family raised Jeremiah to understand the values of service and hard work, but the lessons he learned from his larger Pueblo family played an equally important role in his journey. A product of Pueblo’s public education, youth soccer camps, summer jobs at Musso Farms, church services at St. Joseph's, and so much more. You, Pueblo, have forged the building blocks that have supported Jeremiah’s success. I am beyond grateful to everyone in this community for all the ways that Pueblo raises the next generation of leaders.
Leroy Garcia is a 6th generation southern Coloradan, currently working as a chief of staff for Rural Business Cooperative Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before he was appointed by President Joe Biden to this position, Garcia was the Democratic senator for Colorado Senate District 3 (Pueblo County) and was elected to serve as the first Latino Senate president in Colorado’s history in 2019. The views presented are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Agriculture or its components.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Garcia: Thank you, Pueblo, for helping my son become the leader he is today
