{"id":408688,"date":"2024-05-15T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=408688"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Jinie-soars-to-new-heights-with-her-admission-to-the-US-Air-Force-Academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Jinie-soars-to-new-heights-with-her-admission-to-the-US-Air-Force-Academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Jinie soars to new heights with her admission to the US Air Force Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saipan Swim Club\u2019s Jinie Thompson is soaring to new heights as she\u2019s been accepted into the school of her dreams\u2014the U.S. Air Force Academy.<\/p>\n

The 18-year-old Marianas High School graduating senior got the nod last May 8, with her in-processing day for the academy set for June 26. Thompson\u2019s high school graduation with her graduating class of 2024 is on May 29.<\/p>\n

In the academy, she will be majoring in history. When she found out that she was accepted, Thompson said that she was \u201cvery shocked and humbled.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and to have been selected amongst such a competitive applicant pool feels very rewarding. I want to join the academy to serve my nation and be a part of something bigger than myself,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her older sister Jinju, was also accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2021. With that, Jinie said many people have asked her if she had just wanted to follow her sister\u2019s footsteps, but she said, \u201cWhile we are both going to be attending this school, we will be having our own unique journeys and paths that will shape the people we become when coming out of the academy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jinie thanked her parents for all they\u2019ve done for her. \u201cMy dad for being the most kind and supportive father, and my mom for pushing me to strive for the best without pressuring me. My older sister deserves my heartfelt appreciation; she’s not only my best friend but also my rock. I don\u2019t know where or who I would be without her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo my friends, who were always hopeful and cheered me on during this long application process, I am sincerely thankful. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, thank you for working hard toward helping the students of the Marianas succeed and for being so encouraging when speaking with me,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Jinie also wants to honor her late grandfather for his service in the U.S. Air Force and for being an inspiration to both her and her sister. \u201cMost importantly, I express my gratitude to the Lord for all he does. This achievement is all thanks to Him because God is so good,\u201d she said. \u201cMy gratitude also goes out to the Saipan Swim Club coaches and family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard Sikkel, coach of the SCC said of Jinie\u2019s acceptance into the academy, \u201cAcceptance alone is huge. I am super happy for Jinie that she did get the nod from the AF. Jinie decided to skip the Pacific Games so she could get her applications in, the decision paid off, and she has a few options available to her to choose from,\u201d he said. \u201cWhichever school she decides on will be lucky to have her, swimming has taught her perseverance, and I have no doubt she will be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jinie has been a swimmer in the SCC for more than 11 years and has also been part of the CNMI National Swim Team. She swam and set personal bests in multiple international competitions including the 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2022, 18th FINA World Championships Budapest 2022, World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships 2023, and the Oceania Swimming Championships 2024.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jinie Thompson is all smiles in her U.S. Air Force apparel. She was accepted in the the U.S. Air Force Academy last May 8 and is set to embark on her new journey after her high school graduation.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saipan Swim Club\u2019s Jinie Thompson is soaring to new heights as she\u2019s been accepted into…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-408688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408688\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}