Jordan Locke’s first year after high school wasn’t spent playing club sports at a college or deciding what area he should choose as his major.

Instead, he started each school day at 5:30 a.m. in order to have time to study and train before waking up the next day to start the process over again.

Locke, a Vicksburg native and Porter Chapel’s 2015 valedictorian, is one step closer to achieving his dream of being a fighter pilot after receiving an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy last month, following a year spent at the Air Force Preparatory School.

“I’ve been working hard to get ready for this,” Locke said. “It’s been very demanding, but this is the next step to achieving my goal.”

Locke, who made the Dean’s List and the Vice Commander’s List for his performance, spent his past year at the prep school learning its four pillars of instruction: military service, which includes how to conduct oneself in the military; academics; athletics, which includes passing a quarterly physical fitness test; and character.

“Everything is a team effort because while you may be good in one area [of study], you may need help in another,” he said, stressing how key time management was to balancing all of his responsibilities while at school. “I had a buddy help me with athletics, and I helped him with academics and military. My squad mates were the biggest support.”

Locke added that the locals he met in Colorado Springs, Colo., also provided support because his parents, Chris and Mitzi Busby of Vicksburg and Leonard Locke Jr. of Batesville, could only do so much from 1,000 miles away.

“It really turns you into an adult because your parents can’t help you,” Locke said.

Though he enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends at his new school and in the surrounding community, Locke said being away emphasized the importance of home.

“You find out how sweet home really is,” he said. “When you’re a 1,000 miles away home is no longer a bother. You don’t want to go on vacation anymore; you just want to go home.”

Locke is at home until he begins basic training on June 30, and he will start his first of four years of study at the U.S. Air Force Academy pending its completion.

Locke said he hopes to study aeronautical engineering while at the academy in order to know everything he can about the F-22 Raptors he hopes to one day fly.

“[It’s all about] the freedom you have in the air, while still getting to serve your country,” he said.