MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- When Airmen come into McConnell’s education office in the Dole Center, they might not know what to expect or where there going on their education journey. The personnel at the center focus on helping these Airmen gather information about acquiring their next level of education, what they want to study and where they want to go to school.
Jamie Baker, 22nd Air Refueling Wing chief of education and training, served in the Air Force for six years and realized how hard it can be to make decisions about your education while serving on active duty. Because of this, Baker has given much of her time to the creation of a one-stop location for educational information and questions. As a result, she won the 2021 Community College of the Air Force Advisor of the Year for assisting Airmen in the pursuit of their educational goals.
“I am part of College 101, which is an initiative to create an online Air Force-wide class for Airmen pursuing education, so they have for initial information,” said Mrs. Baker. “We want Airmen to have all the local resources while also creating an educational community in hopes to get everyone working together.”
To win the award, Baker had to be selected by a board and compete against more than 900 advisors across the Air Force. The board then reviewed Baker’s performance, personal feedback from Airmen she assisted as well as program management. Ultimately, Baker was chosen and was recently invited to the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) graduation at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, where she received the award from Lt. Col. Kevin Pond, CCAF commander and commandant, and Chief Master Sgt. Alexis Reed, CCAF vice-commandant.
“With more than 272,000 registered students, we will continue to be the “College of Choice” for our enlisted members, paving a way to their success for many more years to come,” Pond said. “We will continue to provide the opportunities for all enlisted members who join our Air and Space Force to receive associate of applied science degrees, as well as pathways to earning bachelor’s degrees, industry certifications, and workplace credentials --- to benefit our members for a lifetime.”
Throughout the month of April, CCAF hosted multiple events celebrating its 50th anniversary. The official kick-off event began with Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signing a proclamation to recognize CCAF’s long-standing relationship to the community.
Other events included the opening of the CCAF 50-year time capsule and a CCAF 50th Anniversary graduation ceremony hosted by the Air University Commander with Chief Master Sergeant., of the Air Force JoAnne Bass.
“This award means so much to me because I love my job,” said Mrs. Baker. “It was really cool to get the call to go down to Maxwell and participate in the 50th CCAF graduation ceremony, receive my award and meet Chief Bass.”