89 Cadets Selected for AFCLC’s Language Enabled Airman Program Published May 18, 2022 By AFCLC Outreach Team AFCLC MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALA. -- After a virtual selection board process this spring, the Air Force Culture and Language Center selected 89 Cadets for the Language Enabled Airman Program out of 137 applicants. Of the 89 Cadets selected, 47 were chosen from the United States Air Force Academy and 42 from Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in 16 languages. This year marked the third consecutive year candidates were selected for LEAP from a branch other than the U.S. Air Force; four of the LEAP selectees will eventually enter the U.S. Space Force. Participation in LEAP is voluntary and highly competitive. To become a LEAP scholar, Airmen and Guardians must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language specified on the Air Force Strategic Language List, receive an endorsement from their unit commander, and compete via a board process. Selection to LEAP is based on applicants’ existing language proficiency, potential to achieve higher levels of language proficiency, and Air Force language requirements. Below are the names of the 89 Cadets who are now members of LEAP. You can also watch our announcement video, AFCLC-TV 2022 Cadet Selection featuring Capt. Gregory Gutkin and Capt. Kalynn Mendez on AFCLC’s Facebook channel. Arabic-Modern Standard Sanchez, Emma Bedford, Merrick McDonald, Ellie Cambodian Pech, Boreth Chinese-Mandarin Chedzoy, Maria Cheng, Daniel Cooley, Jake Cunningham, Chandler Gray, Liam Kan, Alvin Moy, Allen Smiley, Trevor Tran, Long Zheng, Felix French Biery, George Bourdeau, Wedgide Bowen, Camille Brody, Samuel Cheatham, Hannah Crosby, Timothy Ellinger, Molly Hammalian, Kyle Hong, Joshua Niemi, Lauren Plate, Brendan Sims, Anna Van Houten, Claire German Grebe, Catherine Hawes, Felicita Singer, Rebecca Story, Marlowe Hebrew Salinger, Gabriel Hindi Farjana, Maisha Japanese Chen, Ryan Erickson, Ethan Gnos, Kainoa Jensen, Brady Kwock, Heidi Milham, Alexander Patterson, Ryu *Sakamoto, Kazuma Stadtfeld, Eric Korean Kim, Hanson Kim, Joshua Nelson, Ryan Rho, Gloria Song, David Portuguese-Brazilian Armstrong, Shayna Booth, Ryan Brown, Aliyah Steiner, Kayla Walker, Amir Russian Allison, Catherine Calisto, Marimar Creme, Daniel Ford, Alexis Gharst, Ethan Howell, Brooke Kaminski, Michael Levin, Nestor Nelson, Chyanna *Nemkova Moore, Yana Northrup, Anne Nyfeler, Peter Sanderson, Julia Williams, Madison Spanish Alvarado, Jose *Bluth, Jack Cabrera, Kiara *Campbell, Alicia Franqui Rios, Samuel Hansen, Sydney Juriga, Luke Kamp, Paul Kolligs, Nathaniel Laboe, Elizabeth Lobiondo, Christian Margiotta, Christopher Marrero, Paula Mayfield, Aaron Moura, Camacho Murillo, Nicole Winward, Christian Swahili Haskiell, Alexis Taskerud, Tanner Thai Johnson, Benjamin Ukrainian Catlett, Joseph Lambos, Victoria Urdu Rudd, Fawaz *Denotes U.S. Space Force