High school grad heads to Air Force Academy

Five days before her June 19 graduation from West Milford Township High School, Jacquelyn “Jakki” Galella earned another diploma of sorts.

With less than one year of study and lessons at Lincoln Park Airport, she earned her pilot’s license June 15.

Flying aircraft will serve the 18-year-old lifelong West Milford resident well as she soon will start the next stage of her journey at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Preparatory School.

Jakki will travel with family members to Colorado, and on July 4, she will begin her first year at the academy in its 10-month Preparatory School. That provides the academic, leadership and physical skills to prepare cadets for success as future officers.

On July 7, she will take her service oath and commence rigorous study and physical activities, including mandatory sports participation.

Her plan is to major in military and strategic studies, with a minor in nuclear weapons and strategy.

Ultimately, Jakki wants to pilot technically advanced military bombers or serve as an intelligence officer. Whatever her path, she is intent on continuing to learn and lead.

“The Academy attracts and builds leaders to serve and protect our nation and its citizens,” she said. “Having a cause greater than yourself is the greatest achievement in life. I look at all men and women who have served and are serving our country. They are my greatest influencers. All went for a common purpose, and I’m sharing that same purpose.

“There are lots of challenges ahead and I know it won’t be easy. You need to be tough as the Academy expects everyone to excel in everything - academically, athletically and personally - seven days a week. It won’t stop me, only benefit and help me grow.”

Jakki will arrive at the Academy’s Preparatory School wearing a button-down shirt, khaki slacks and dress shoes and carrying her birth certificate, a 127-page national security clearance, immediate family contacts, envelopes, a notepad for letters home and a few pre-approved essentials in a backpack.

She’ll be provided with cadet uniforms and other gear by the Academy.

During an arduous 21-day boot camp at the outset, she will turn in her phone and suspend contact with family, friends and the outside world.

As a licensed pilot and cadet, she will be able to help train aspiring pilots at the Academy’s flight center.

Outstanding student-athlete

Jakki is highly driven to succeed and embraces hard work and self-sacrifice. She has achieved academically and athletically, overcome hardships and obstacles, and possesses leadership skills required of a future Air Force cadet and officer.

“We’re all super-proud of all of Jakki’s accomplishments and her acceptance to the Academy,” said her mother, Tammy Bartholomew. “She’s very determined and motivated to achieve whatever she sets out to do. She’s had a phenomenal and extremely busy high school career along with some challenges. We’re so excited for her. She’s earned this opportunity. We’re going to really miss her at home.”

Last year, Jakki’s maternal grandfather, Gary Bartholomew, passed away. In his later years, he lived with the family - for 12 years - in their Oak Ridge and Upper Greenwood Lake homes.

“He and Jakki were extremely close,” her mother said. “With her extremely busy and active schedule, her grandfather was always there for her - to talk with, give advice, and drive her anywhere and everywhere she needed to go. His passing was a big loss and very difficult for Jakki and family.”

The family includes her father, Frank Galella, and older sisters, Aly Roskowsky, who lives in Oregon, and Nikki Galella, who is expecting her first child and Jakki’s first niece.

Her great-grandfather Stanley Bartholomew, in the U.S. Army, and her cousin Ryan Bartholomew was an Army Ranger.

Jakki attended Paradise Knoll School and Macopin Middle School. In high school, she was an Advanced Placement and honors student in English, history, math, science and Italian.

She was inducted in the National Honors Society, English Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Italian Honor Society and Science Honor Society.

A standout student-athlete, she played varsity field hockey, track and field, basketball and lacrosse. She was team captain of the lacrosse team as a junior and senior.

As a senior, Jakki also was captain of the field hockey team, earning first-team all-county recognition, and the school’s first girls flag football team, for which she earned second-team all-league honors.

In addition, she was president of the high school Varsity Club and received All-Around Athletics recognition by the Paterson Old Timers Athletic Association.

She has coached youth basketball, instructed at the PAL field hockey camp and served as youth counselor.

In recent years, she also worked at a local Thai restaurant and her father’s business, did much of the family grocery shopping, and had a boyfriend, Sam Petronaci, also a West Milford High School athlete who will join the family’s July outing to the Academy.

Path to the Academy

Jakki originally set her sights on a law or political career, given her strong interest in government and history.

Those aspirations changed with the inspiration of a customer at the Thai restaurant who had a military background and knowledge of the Air Force.

“On the way home from a dinner for the high school football team late in her junior year, Jakki revealed her interest in the military and the Air Force,” Bartholomew said. “From that point on, her focus was getting into the Academy, getting her pilot’s license and not letting anything stop her.”

In addition to understanding the Academy’s qualifications and application process, Jakki gained the support of a longtime family friend Hugh Bolton, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, who serves on the Ohio Academy Advisory Board. He provided insights about the institution, admission process and a military career and he wrote a letter of recommendation to the Academy for Jakki.

Next, she spoke with her high school guidance counselor and others about the Academy’s admission process, which is extremely lengthy, detailed and rigorous. The first step was a pre-application process that required her to provide a full education profile to determine her academic fitness. She passed the test and was sent an application to the Academy.

With her application submitted last September, Jakki then gained the nomination of Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5. Then came a U.S. Department of Defense medical review, which was comprehensive from birth to current age.

That raised an issue because of a mistake in a record related to Jakki having asthma, which barred the Academy from reviewing her application for admission.

“Jakki and everyone here were in shock,” Bartholomew said. “It took three months to clear up the mistake and resubmit the medical record. Fortunately and happily, Jakki received medical clearance and her Academy application could move forward - a huge relief.”

On March 13, she received the letter of acceptance to the Air Force Academy Preparatory School.

“That moment was such a relief with great joy, happiness, screaming, tears, jumping up and down - and a snow day in West Milford,” her mother said.

More than relief and excitement, the acceptance letter was affirmation of all her hard work and effort “as well as the incredible support of everyone who helped and believed in me over the years,” Jakki said. “My family and friends, teachers and counselors, coaches and teammates, Mr. Bolton and Representative Gottheimer, my flight instructor and the customer who introduced me to the idea.

“I’m also very grateful to former West Milford teacher Nisha Sirshan and JV field hockey coach Michelle Paluzzi, both of whom were always there for me emotionally and supportive of whatever I was dealing with at the time - even Ms. Paluzzi’s constructive game-time yelling and screaming, which always fired me up to be my best.

“For anyone at any time or with any endeavor, having people around you is awesome - especially as a young person. Things can get overwhelming and difficult at times. A support system helps you be resilient and ever-more determined to succeed.

“And a big lesson learned during my high school years and Academy application process, don’t do it alone - find the right people to help and be with you.”

With tears in her mother’s eyes, Jakki said she’ll miss her family, the expected birth of her sister’s child as well her mom’s late-night cooking, friends and West Milford.

For now, she’s getting ready for her Air Force Academy arrival with final documentation submission, mandatory reading and physical fitness, which includes working out, running several miles daily in military boots and flying airplanes.