Air Force Academy Grad Sets Her Eyes On The Future

by Martin Lenkowsky June 24, 2026

by Martin Lenkowsky June 24, 2026 3 minutes read

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Sabrina Basso of Coral Springs. {courtesy}

Sabrina Basso deserves a big salute from each and every one of us.

The 22-year-old Coral Springs resident just graduated last month from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., as a Second Lieutenant.

Basso, who was born and raised here, is also a 2022 graduate of Coral Springs Charter School, and her education is far from over. She will now be entering the University of Florida’s graduate school, where she will major in modern European history with a concentration on Holocaust studies. The Air Force is sending her to graduate school.

At the academy, she majored in history and became interested in the Holocaust because of the thesis she was required to write. “I’ve always been intrigued by the Holocaust,” she said. “I was exposed to that living in Coral Springs, where I met many Holocaust survivors.” Plus, her advisor at the Air Force Academy was a Holocaust historian.

Interestingly, Basso said it’s increasingly difficult to find graduate programs that offer Holocaust Studies. “Not as many people are taking these courses,” she said. “Some schools are changing it to Genocide Studies.”

She is now required to serve five years in the military. She trained to join the security forces and is now considered to be on active duty.

Once she earns her graduate degree at UF in the fall of 2027, she plans to eventually return to the academy in Colorado, where she will teach history to undergrads. However, she does not intend to do this immediately. “I will do service time before I go back,” she said.

As for what she envisions herself doing 10 years from now, she said, “I hope I’ll still be in the Air Force. Hopefully, I can get my PhD in the Air Force as well and will be teaching again.”

She said she really enjoyed her years at the academy. “I would do it ten times again,” she said. “It was very difficult, one of the most difficult things I’ve done in my life.”

One big life lesson she learned in the academy is that you have to rely on people for help. “I met a lot of great people,” she said. “I hope to run into them again.”

Basso said each cadet at the academy is matched with a sponsor family from the Colorado Springs area for support and mentoring. “In my sponsor family, he was a 1968 graduate,” she said, adding that one doesn’t really get that at other universities. “They care for their people.”

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The views expressed are those of Sabrina Basso and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, Department of War, or the U.S. government.

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Martin Lenkowsky

Martin Lenkowsky moved to Coral Springs from NYC in 1982. He has a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College. He has been both writer and editor for a number of South Florida publications since 1983. He considers features writing his specialty.