Mankato West graduate selected to attend U.S. Air Force Academy

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) — A Mankato native will fulfill her lifelong dream when she begins her journey in the U.S. Air Force Academy later this month.

C/2d Lt. Sarah Skjeveland, daughter of Paul and Kris Skjeveland, will be receiving her letter of admission from the U.S. Air Force during a ceremony at the Mankato Regional Airport at 7 p.m. Thursday. The public is welcome to attend the event.

Skjeveland graduated from Mankato West High School in 2020. She has been an active cadet since the age of 13 in the local Mankato Civil Air Patrol Squadron.

She applied to the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2020 and was awarded a Falcon Foundation Scholarship to attend preparatory school in fall 2020. Furthermore, she attended Northwestern Preparatory School in San Bernardino County, California, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, completed the preparatory school remotely.

Skjeveland completed the application and interview process again in 2021 and was also nominated by U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-01) and U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) as part of the admission process.

“Cadet Sarah Skjeveland was an outstanding cadet during her time at our squadron and will make an outstanding officer in the U.S. Air Force.” stated 1st Lt. Dwight Tostenson, commander of the Mankato Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron.

More recently, Skjeveland earned admission into the U.S. Air Force Academy and will be a member of the Class of 2025. She reports for duty on June 24 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.