By Rhea Choudhary | Staff Writer
When Baylor Army ROTC Capt. Bernard Sheppard first arrived on campus nearly two years ago, one of the first cadets who personally introduced himself was Baylor senior Jackson Balsavias. Sheppard said the St. Louis native stood out immediately as articulate and forward-thinking, exactly what Sheppard hoped for in a cadet.
“Jackson is crushing it on the Air Force side, he’s crushing it in his extracurricular activities and now he’s going to be a top-tier fighter pilot,” Sheppard said.
His reputation for discipline and drive is what helped Balsavias become one of 17 cadets nationwide, and the only Baylor student, selected for the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program. The program, held at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, is the Air Force’s most competitive pilot track and the only internationally run undergraduate pilot training in the world.
Sheppard, who has trained Balsavias since his sophomore year, said the accomplishment is the combination of years of consistent work ethic and leadership.
“We have hundreds, if not thousands, of pilots selected every single year through ROTC,” Sheppard said. “But Jackson is one of very few that were selected for this very, very elite program.”
However, for Balsavias, the process of getting there was anything but easy. Applicants are ranked on GPA, physical fitness, flight aptitude testing and commander evaluations, and only the top 10 scorers are chosen.
“They basically just take all of that data, plug it in and whoever has the top scores is who they take,” Balsavias said.
While the application alone is rigorous, Sheppard said what distinguishes Balsavias is the way he has managed his time at Baylor. Alongside ROTC duties, he has held multiple leadership roles, including being vice wing commander and chaplain for the detachment, president of Brothers Under Christ fraternity and a member of the Blue Knights color guard. According to Sheppard, few cadets nationwide could take on that workload and continue to excel academically, physically and personally.
“He’s one of those people who never seems to slow down,” Sheppard said. “Whatever he’s doing, whether it’s school, ROTC or his fraternity, Jackson gives everything his absolute all.”
Balsavias said he has been motivated less by personal achievement and more by his approach to service.
“Honestly, the most important thing about me is just my faith in Jesus Christ,” Balsavias said. “I believe we accomplish the mission better if everybody feels included.”
As he prepares to begin training in Wichita Falls, Balsavias said he’s grateful for the mentors, teammates and Baylor community who have made his time at Baylor so meaningful. For him, the program is not just the next step in his Air Force career, but also an opportunity to continue leading with the values that brought him here. Those values of determination, service and faith, are what carried him through the application process and will continue to strengthen his future career as a fighter pilot.
“At the end of the day, I don’t want people to remember me just as someone who worked hard,” Balsavias said. “I want them to remember me as someone who put others first, lived out my faith and made everyone around me feel like they belonged.”
