Sponsor program spans generations
Sean and Nicole Gibson, as cadets, hold their sponsor family’s infant son while attending the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1997. (Courtesy photo)
By Katherine Spessa
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. – Dr. Kimberly Gardner and Nicole Gibson both started at the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1996, the former as a professor and the latter a cadet. They came from the same small town in northwest Missouri, went to the same church, graduated from the same high school.
Even though they hadn’t met previously, Gardner took Nicole in to provide a familiar home away from home.
“In many ways, we adopted her. Then we adopted her boyfriend and when they got married, we were there. We’ve been in touch ever since,” Gardner said. “It’s been fantastic watching them go from cadets to officers and along the line, parents and everything else that goes with growing up.”
Their relationship shows how the Cadet Sponsor Program creates a comforting space for cadets away from home for the first time.
Second generation of cadets
Nicole and her husband benefitted so much from their connection with Gardner, when they learned their son Brayden would be attending the Academy’s Preparatory School, they immediately reached out to her and her family.
“I didn’t call my mom first; I called Kim first,” Nicole recalled. “I said, ‘Please say you’ll be there.’ Kim said, ‘of course, I’ve got him.’”
“It’s so interesting to see the grown young man that you remember as a baby and watch him do what his parents did,” said Gardner.
“It’s nice hearing Kim tell stories about the parallels between Brayden and us as cadets,” said Nicole. “I have things we may have forgotten, but from her perspective, she watched it, and now she’s watching it with him as well.”
Part of the family
Brayden said having the Gardner home to go to helps with the stress of being away from family and the pressures of attending the prep school.
“It’s somewhere I can go chill out and just be a normal human being,” he said. “Having some semblance of normalcy to go to, it really is a home away from home.”
“It’s also a different kind of motivation,” Brayden continued. “It’s not mom or dad; it’s somebody else who isn’t biologically required to tell you you’re doing a good job. It’s someone else who believes in you, and you need that.”
The Cadet and Cadet Candidate Sponsor Programs need more families to participate to offer more of this crucial benefit to cadets and candidates.
Dr. Kimberly Gardner and one of her sponsor cadets, David Springfield, Class of 2015, during a presentation to parents at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (Courtesy photo)
According to Gardner and the Gibsons, the Cadet Sponsor Program can be different for everyone based on their needs, availability, and their Academy experience. Over the last 27 years, the Gardner family has sponsored several cadets.
“I think what they want most is to be part of the family,” said Gardner. “Bring them in, let them have their space and don’t feel like you have to entertain.”
Some cadets may enjoy going on day trips or having planned dinners, while some cadets may just appreciate getting to nap with the family dog in the absence of a beloved pet from home.
The Gardner family recommends their tried and true practice of offering your garage door code and letting the cadet guide the relationship.
Gardner said that often, they do, in fact, become part of the family during their time at the Academy and afterward, keeping in touch for years.
Dr. Kimberly Gardner and her husband pose with former sponsor cadets Ayana and Michael Tuchscherer and their children during a visit in Woodland Park, Colo. (Courtesy photo)
How to sponsor a cadet or cadet candidate
Those interested in participating in the Cadet Sponsor Program or the Cadet Candidate Sponsor Program, can contact the Cadet Sponsor Office at (719) 333-2727.