Image of stuck-up rich kids disappears within minutes

I pulled into Air Academy High School's parking lot two minutes before the morning bell, along with several other latecomers.

I had mixed emotions - fear, anxiety - and my stomach was full of butterflies, just like the new girl on the first day of school. From what I had heard, this high school was "rich," "snobby" and "stuck- up." Unfortunately, I had believed what I'd heard.

I thought I might just sit in my car awhile, and contemplate whether to go inside, but I figured that if they could handle the halls, so could I.

However, my opinion changed once I actually made it through the doors.

Every face was new to me, but the halls were filled with ordinary kids, no different from the kids that filled the halls in my school, Doherty. Throughout the day, I wondered where the stereotypes came from.

Could there possibly be a high school filled with only "rich," "snobby," "stuck-up" students? If so, Air Academy wasn't it. The kids were great, and it amazed me to see how many of them were eager to talk to me, like we had known each other forever.

I could sense the camaraderie that was present within the walls. While Jennifer Huggins, junior, admits that the school could be kind of cliquey, she didn't stop short of saying that many students do show that they care about each other. Nicolette Walker, senior, described it as a "tight family."

English teacher Chris Palmer agreed: "I love it here. It's like a family ... great students, wonderful teachers. It's a people place."

With the state hockey championship just a few days earlier, it was easy to feel the excitement in the air. The atmosphere felt relaxed.

The kids seemed to be enjoying themselves, even while going over the basics of a research paper.

"Hockey is awesome. Everyone gets into it and has a lot of school spirit," said senior Jessie Beery.

Besides being a big hockey school, Air Academy also emphasizes academics.

Block classes provide enough time to learn, finish homework, listen to the teacher and chat.

The underclassmen were just finishing going through the long process of choosing classes for next school year. Classes are available for everyone's interests, ranging from astronomy to Southwest studies.

Trisha Leon-Guerrero, senior, adds a nice perspective to Air Academy High School. "Air Academy can be a very open-minded atmosphere."

The students are fortunate to attend such a safe and academically challenging school, she adds.

Air Academy High

Mean verbal SAT score: 549

Mean mathematics SAT score: 550

Mean ACT score: 23.3

College bound: 76 percent of 324 graduates in 1998 were accepted into four-year colleges and universities; 14 percent to two-year colleges.

Graduation rate: 96 percent

Dropout rate: 1 percent

Average GPA of seniors: 3.19

Student body: 1,440 students

Student-teacher ratio: 18 to 1

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