BY BRIANNA HAYES
Clarkston News Intern
Admittance into the United States Air Force Academy is a long and grueling process.
With its 12 percent acceptance rate and high demand for well-rounded cadets, it’s not a basic application.
Clarkston siblings Alan “Benny” Benson and Katrina “Katy” Benson are part of that 12 percent.

Benny, a 2017 Clarkston High School graduate, was at the academy two years before being allowed to do mission work for two years in South Korea. To return to the academy, he had to go through the admittance process again.
Katy, meanwhile, graduated from Clarkston High School this year.
Both Benny and Katy were accepted to the Colorado Springs-based institution after receiving congressional nominations and meeting academic and physical standards set forth by the academy. Cadets need to get support from the congressman or senators of their state.
Serving the country is a family tradition in the Benson family, as there is a long military history dating back to the Civil War.
“I was in the Air Force back in the 90s, and my dad and uncles were in the Air Force,” said dad, O.T. Benson.
Growing up, joining the Air Force was something the Benson children always wanted to do. While in school, both kids took advantage of the strong education system and after-school activities Clarkston Community Schools had to offer.
Benny graduated from CHS with a 29 ACT score and a 3.85 GPA. During his education career in Clarkston, Benny took a heavy load of Advanced Placement classes weighted toward math and science, was a member of the boys swim and dive team and was a leader with the Eagle scouts. He was accepted into the USAFA after graduation and began his freshman year during the fall semester of 2017.
After his first year, he resigned his appointment to take the two-year mission trip to South Korea. He left for basic training and the beginning of his sophomore year on July 20. Katy began basic training on June 25.
Katy graduated from CHS in June in the top ten percent in her class with a 32 ACT score and above a 4.0 GPA. Like her brother, she also took a heavy load of AP classes weighted toward math and science, was a member of the girls swim and dive team and participated regularly with church activities.
Katy was accepted into the academy after graduation and went straight to basic training.

The USAFA education includes military training like flying and jumping out of airplanes. The academy’s cost of tuition attendance is taken care of by the academy due to the Air Force valuing the education given to its students and the training they endure during their time there.
The USAFA offers a range of degrees for its students, but there is a strong push toward engineering. An education with the Air Force Academy in Colorado is said to be on par with the Naval Academy in Maryland and West Point Military Academy in New York.
In reference to strictly academic universities, O.T. shared, “a lot of academy people will tell you not every kid that goes to Harvard can go to the Air Force Academy, but nearly every kid who goes to the Air Force Academy would be successful at Harvard.”
This is said to drive the point the academy is not an academic exercise only, and cadets have to be able to do a variety of things athletically while taking the pressure and still being well suited for academics.
Parents are O.T. and Julie Benson.