20 Jul 2020 Aim high: Shofner receives Academy appointment
Many young men and women who enter the military — especially something as challenging as one of the nation’s service academies — are following in the line established by someone in their family who set the example. Not so with Matthew Shofner.
“I’ve always known I wanted to do something military,” he said. “There’s not really anybody in my family that’s military, it’s just I’ve always wanted to for as long as I can remember.”
This summer, Shofner got his wish as he reported to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., one of the most competitive and rigorous institutions of higher learning in the world. Roughly 12,000 high achievers apply for admission each year, and only about 12 percent actually get in. On average, about 20 percent of each incoming class drops out before graduation.
All of that tends to attract double- and triple-A personalities, but again, Shofner bucks that trend with a laid-back mannerism. He didn’t attend any summer initiation program or even take an official campus tour prior to deciding he wanted to be a cadet.
“I’ve been [to the academy] before; we went on vacation there a couple years ago and walked around the campus,” he said nonchalantly.
“I didn’t get an official tour. We just walked around and saw stuff. I was walking around like, ‘This place is really cool. I like it here.’”
Shofner’s acceptance to the academy is made all the more impressive by the relatively late start he got on accumulating some of the resume material that typically catches the eye of the admissions committee. He didn’t join ROTC at Catholic High School in Little Rock until halfway through his junior year, very late by a typical applicant’s standards.
“I didn’t go to Catholic High because I wanted to go to the Academy. It worked out to be better there, but that’s not the reason I went to Catholic High,” he said. “I attended St. Joseph School in Conway, went there my whole life up through freshman year, then moved to Catholic High between my freshman and sophomore years.
“They don’t have ROTC at St. Joe, and when I went to Catholic High, I couldn’t do it my sophomore year or part of my junior year. So, I joined ROTC after Christmas of my junior year.”
In addition to ROTC service, Shofner’s impressive high school record of accomplishments includes playing linebacker on the Rocket football team, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor club and even having a go at the CHS lacrosse team as a senior. He said well-roundedness was an important component to his getting into the Air Force Academy.
“Mostly what they’re looking for, they’re not looking for a kid with a 36 ACT or the star quarterback because they need kids that can do a little bit of everything,” he said. “What they want are kids involved in many different things, involved in some sort of sport as well as a couple of clubs, and who get good grades as well.”
Shofner, 18, is the eldest son of Joan and Greg Shofner, and his younger brother Michael is a student at Catholic High. Matthew plans to study aeronautical engineering at the academy with the goal of being a pilot, a path that requires higher levels of education and with it, additional mandatory military service.
“It would mean 10 total years of service,” he said. “They’re trying to keep people. The military has a big shortage of pilots, so they’re trying to keep them for as long as they can.”
As the date to report to Colorado approached, Shofner made the most of his abbreviated summer break, staying in touch with his pals, accumulating the stuff he needs for school and learning Russian. As for the rigors of what lies ahead, far from home, his take-it-easy tone doesn’t waver.
“I feel very, very confident that I’ll be able to handle it fine; I’m not really worried about that at all,” he said. “Mostly I’m very, very excited. I’m ready.”
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