# @af_academy on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CFdIVCEj9W4
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/8951910-af-academy-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/1a6ac7b81c.jpg
- **Posted:** 2020-09-22T22:13:12.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** U.S. Air Force Academy (@af_academy) — https://gondola.cc/af_academy

## Caption

Cadet 1st Class Camila Quintero Hilsaca may be one of the busiest cadets we have ever featured! A physics major with a double minor in Nuclear Weapons and Strategies and Spanish – she also finds time to serve as Vice President of the Society of Physics Students and a cadet instructor pilot with the 94th Flying Training Squadron. She is a member of the Hispanic Heritage Club.  
 
Quintero Hilsaca was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, and became an American citizen as a teenager. She said joining the Hispanic Heritage Club here has been a good opportunity to celebrate the diverse culture of Spanish-speaking people while also relating to the shared experiences of cadets with similar backgrounds.  
 
“I grew up in Colombia, and although I have spent the majority of my life in the U.S. that part of my identity has never diminished. I’m extremely proud to be Colombian and to bring to the table a different perspective than those around me,” she said. 
 
Quintero Hilsaca said her mother has been her biggest role model and instilled in her the importance of hard work, education and self-improvement. She said making a difference was one of the draws to attending the Academy and going into military service. She hopes to become a pilot. 
 
“The best advice I can give anyone who is at the Academy, or will be in the future, is to take advantage of every opportunity this place has to offer. The opportunities are out there, you just have to be proactive,” she said. 
 
Despite her busy schedule, Quintero Hilsaca said it’s been important to meet new people here at the Academy. She also cautioned against placing too much pressure on yourself to be perfect at all things. #YourAcademy #FamilyWeek #HispanicHeritageMonth

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 11,241
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- **Comments:** 79

## Tags

hispanicheritagemonth, familyweek, youracademy

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