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Posted Friday, April 01, 2011
Author: Annette Robb, Director, International Officer Division
AFIT
Capt. Kesia Gomes, a visiting officer from the Brazilian Air Force, is excited to be only weeks away from completing her master's degree in Logistics and Supply-Chain Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Captain Gomes will be one of the 236 students to graduate from AFIT on March 24 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at 7 p.m.
Captain Gomes is also one of the only 2 female international students at AFIT, and she has been excelling in all of her academic studies. She has impressed faculty members and her own classmates at AFIT for her performance as a foreign AFIT student, having a cumulative GPA of 3.9, and for her superb use of English as a second language.
“It’s an exciting time for me and my family. Being able to attend AFIT, and graduate with a master’s degree is a huge accomplishment,” said Captain Gomes.
Not only has she accomplished academic workloads with the highest performance but she has also made time to engage in community work and numerous extracurricular activities.
Captain Gomes has been invited to join Sigma Iota Epsilon, an honor society for management; she made her mark on local public radio, WYSO 91.3 FM, by providing fluent Brazilian Portuguese translations and then voicing a series of on-air promotional announcements for a weekly program called “Jazz Forward” that has been airing for the past six months. In addition, she published a scientific article in conjunction with a Logistics Transportation Conference, ANPET (National Association for Research and Transportation) in Salvador, Brazil.
“Captain Gomes is an outstanding student and has gone above and beyond what’s expected of her. She has truly displayed the intelligence, hard work, and community mindedness that exemplifies what being an Air Force Officer is all about,” said Maj Joyner Gardner, her class leader.
She has been selected for AFIT's International Student of the Quarter for the summer and for the Outstanding International Student's Annual Award which recognizes outstanding professionalism, enthusiasm, exemplary character, and exceptional achievements. Captain Gomes was selected, after having competed with 35 international officers in AFIT's graduate program for the honor.
“I thank God in the first place for helping me make this dream come true and the Brazilian Air Force for believing in such a young officer. I would also like to thank my husband, son, friends, classmates and instructors for being very supportive. Last but not least, I would highlight that the International Officers Division here at AFIT really helped me to succeed in my academics, learning about other cultures and having a better understanding of military life in the United States. These are just some of the things I will never forget,” said Captain Gomes.
Captain Gomes has recently been accepted into the logistics PHD program of one of the most renowned universities in Brazil, the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ).
Originally posted - Skywrighter | February 18, 2011 | Page A9