Houghton High School and Michigan Tech graduate Dante Cyrus was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
He recently graduated from the U.S Air Force Academy officer training program as a Distinguished Graduate with Scholars, which is only awarded to the top 10% ranked cadets in the class. The U.S. Air Force Academy officer training program has an acceptance of only just over 12%.
He reflected on what it took to get to where he is now.
“So at Michigan Tech, I studied Mechanical Engineering, but then I also got involved in the Air Force ROTC detachment at Michigan Tech, so detachment 400. And then [what I did from there] was try to excel through being in the positions of Flight Chief, and helping the Commanding Officers, both the permanent party [and] the Cadet Commanders, and overall getting as much exposure as I could to the overall process of leading as a Cadet and for when I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.” – Dante Cyrus, Second Lieutenant of the United States Air Force
His next assignment will send him to Georgia Tech to pursue his Masters in Aerospace Engineering and Hypersonic Propulsion. After he completes his masters, he will head to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training to become an Air Force pilot.