Honaker accepts Air Force Academy scholarship

Mar. 5—OAK HILL — Born of a military family, Olivia Honaker has been a leader since she first embarked along her own military pathway as a high school freshman.

Cadet Command Sergeant Major Honaker, now a senior at Oak Hill High School, has accepted a scholarship to attend the United States Air Force Academy beginning later this year. The Air Force nomination was one of several Honaker received from her congressional delegation, including Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito and U.S. Rep. Carol Miller.

Her instructors in the Fayette Institute of Technology Junior ROTC program say Honaker was destined for leadership early. And Honaker herself says it was something she embraced.

"I've grown up with discipline and those values that the Army teaches you," Honaker said last week. "But, also I was interested in having a military career. I kind of had the idea, but I hadn't formulated it yet, and I felt like this was a good opportunity for me."

The ROTC program offers great benefits, she said. "For school, you get to do a lot of opportunities you wouldn't get to do with regular high school."

As she weighed her post-secondary options, Honaker said the Air Force Academy, located just north of Colorado Springs, Col., came to the forefront.

"The Air Force kind of just aligns with my values and what I want to do career-wise," she said. "And I think the location, as well as what they offer, aligns best with what I want in my life."

And what exactly is that?

"I want a competitive lifestyle, but also something that is comfortable and I can continue to do and build my skills for my career," said Honaker.

She feels she's poised to do well in Colorado. "I'm definitely a leader. Naturally I feel like I attain a leadership position wherever I go."

Honaker was accepted both into West Point and the Air Force Academy. She participated in both Air Force and Naval prep camps in recent months, her instructor, Col. (Retired) Chris Selvey said.

After her five-year Air Force commitment is fulfilled, Honaker says she's considering a career in special investigations.

Selvey said Honaker has been a highly-involved participant in JROTC since she enrolled. "She started when she was a freshman in Covid year, and she has been a super participant from the beginning," he said. "She became a first sergeant for the company, and she's been our battalion sergeant major the last two years.

"She has led our drill team, she has led our Raider team (geared to physical activities), been the captain of it for the last two years where we have won multiple competitions in drill and ceremony. She coordinates all of the color guards you see at the ball games and all that. She coordinates all the kids (at the various schools). Lions Club, parades, whatever, she puts all that together.

"She has just been a natural leader."

Selvey says Honaker is poised for success with the Air Force for a variety of reasons. "Her pure determination, and she has an absolute desire to be the best at everything she does. Almost to a fault," he said. "She wants to be the best all the time. She works well under pressure, and she's going to take that to the Academy with her and be able to problem solve and get through that."

"Her first year, Sgt. Coomes (another instructor, Sergeant First Class (Retired) David Coomes) and I said she's going to be battalion sergeant major," said Selvey. "We saw that in her first year. We knew she was going to be special."

"You could tell from the get-go that she was a natural leader and that she had potential to be one of our superstars, and she's not proved us wrong," Coomes said. At a statewide cadet camp, he said Honaker "was selected the top cadet for the camp, and we knew she could handle that."

"She's led color guard and drill team to numerous first places in competitions," Coomes added. "She's just a real good leader, a coach for all those teams."

----Honaker, who just turned 18, has obviously had a productive time during her high school days as she winds down toward graduation and the next big step.

She's been involved in sports as a member of the cross-country and track and field teams, as well as the softball squad.

She said she's been "very busy" juggling it all. Besides the JROTC and sports commitments, she has served as treasurer for the school's National Honor Society, a member of National Technical Honor Society (both which feature numerous community service commitments), the student body president, and on student council for three years.

"A lot of times I'm doing things in the community," she said. "Other than that, obviously I run and I work out. I also like to play games with my friends and hang out with family and do family events and stuff."

"I grew up in a military household," Honaker said. "My parents met in the Army. My dad was in the Army Reserve for 29 years, and my mom was active for four and reserve for four."

Her local leaders have provided major motivation over the years, Honaker said. "They've let me come in this environment and really, like, flourish and see what I want to do and what I'm good at, and learn what to do and what not to do," she said. "They motivate me to do that, especially when I'm at JCLC and when I'm with 250 new people I don't know. They really let me show who I am and learn who I need to be."

JCLC is JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge, a five-day summer camp at Camp Dawson featuring leadership scenarios with all the JROTC units in West Virginia and two from Maryland. It was at that event that Honaker was named top cadet.

"JROTC has given me a lot of opportunities," said Honaker. "Not only has it given me leadership skills and public speaking skills and confidence in my abilities, but also opened me up to being more comfortable in a military setting.

"JCLC is a great example. I already had a basis in JROTC foundations so when I applied for ROTC scholarships, I was more familiar with it. And, I've also been to the Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy through their summer seminars, and my foundation in JROTC led me to that."

Her first involvement with JROTC "was definitely a wake-up call," Honaker said. But, it's been well worth it. "I'm in a setting where I can ... do what I'm passionate about, and you're given the means to flourish and enjoy what you do and work hard at what you do. Of course whenever you enter a new setting that's seen as stern and military-related, it is different. It can (make you nervous). I get super nervous before competitions and things like that, but overall it's been a great opportunity.

"A lot of this has been what I wanted; this is what I'm passionate about."

----At times, making preparations for life after high school has been "overwhelming," said Honaker.

"The admissions process (for the academies) is super long. About a year-long application, and you have to attend certain events to get more information."

All the while, she's tried to maintain her athletics and school commitments, and participate in various activities.

"I didn't expect to get three nominations to West Point, two to Air Force and one to Merchant Marines, and then get an appointment to Air Force and Army," she said.

Manchin nominated her for West Point and the Merchant Marine Academy, Capito nominated her for West Point and Air Force, and Miller entered her for West Point and Air Force.

"I'm super excited for the future and opportunities here, and I definitely am thankful for JROTC and Oak Hill High School as well for fostering this in me," Honaker said.

She must report to the Air Force Academy on June 26. "I graduate Vo-Tech May 6 and high school May 16," she said. "Between then I'm just going to try to get prepared and spend time with my friends and family before I have to leave."

Said Capito in a November 2023 press release announcing the nominations from her office: "Each year, I have the honor of nominating young West Virginians for admissions to our nation's prestigious military service academies. This year, I hosted four Academy Day events across West Virginia and reviewed a number of impressive applications."

Her office and academy review board selected 29 students, including Honaker, from 15 counties.

"These students truly represent our best and brightest, and I am confident in their ability to become the next generation of leaders in our nation."