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Olivia Hill ’24, U.S. Air Force Academy Testimonial

MMI alumnus Olivia Hill ’24 of Houston, Texas, is now thriving as a “fourth-class” at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where she is pursuing a history major and serves as a swim & dive team manager. She recently wrote a heartfelt testimonial to Gen. Steve Lorenz, USAF (Retired), President of the Falcon Foundation. 

“When I shared with you that my time at MMI was truly the best year of my life, I was speaking the truth. I firmly believe that I would not be the person I am today nor be at the USAFA without MMI, and the host of people who cared so much about me and my success there.

“My year there did not come without its struggles. I didn’t always do well in every class or perform how I wanted to on a PT test, but it was in these moments that MMI taught me the valuable lesson of failing. I learned that I may not always be the best at something, but there were people around me who wanted to help me and I, in turn, could help them. My friend Jack saw I struggled at times with running and gave me tips on how to improve. My math teacher Dr. Yang would stay late to help me and my classmates better grasp concepts we were struggling with and got excited when we could complete multiple problems correctly in a row. My advisor, Colleen, was there to support me through hard days and was never afraid to give me the hard truth.

The people and connections are what make MMI unique. I met my best friends there who have stood by me through the ups and downs of my journey to come to USAFA. I feel like I have known them a lifetime and cherish the memories we have made.

MMI also gave me a chance to learn what it meant to be an adult, to be on my own and responsible for making my own choices. I had fantastic mentors, such as LTC Bowen and 1SG Magnus, who gave me guidance in making tough decisions and were unafraid to tell me as it was. Because of this, I had the opportunity to grow tremendously in all aspects of my life.

Needless to say, MMI was the blessing I didn’t know I needed. I am extremely grateful and blessed to have spent a year at MMI. I met the most extraordinary people and learned important lessons about myself and others. Attending MMI enabled me to grow in ways I didn’t know I needed to, setting me up for success here at USAFA, both academically and in building interpersonal relationships.

I am beyond grateful that I chose to go to MMI and would not trade my time there for the world.”

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