Great Grads: Anthony Sapell

Name: Anthony Sapell

Plans: Anthony will attend the Air Force Academy and hopes to become a pilot.

What makes him a Great Grad: “I’ve always tried my hardest to prove myself in everything I do,” the graduate said. And it seems to have worked.

Anthony had to get a nomination to apply to the Air Force Academy, and he got two: one from Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and one from U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown.

Anthony has been interested in aviation for as long as he can remember. He’s been attending the Cleveland Air Show every year since he was three, and he remembers sitting on the beach, watching Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.

He’s had two internships with NASA, and during one of them he built the rig to test fire blankets. He’s been in the Robotics Club since eighth grade, and president the past two years, and you can hear his smile when he talks about that club – which had seven members when he joined, and now has close to 40.

“That’s probably been the number one thing that’s sort of inspired me for engineering,” he said of his time in Robotics. “I’m actually kind of upset that I won’t be doing that any more.”

Anthony also played lacrosse, soccer and baseball in high school.

He’ll study aeronautical engineering in college and then has a nine-year commitment to the Air Force if he makes it as a pilot.