HELENA — Roman Jacobson received the Civil Air Patrol's "Amelia Earhart" award in front of his friends and family on Tuesday.
Jacobson, a high school student, is now a part of the three percent of CAP cadets that have received the award for their exemplary leadership skills, knowledge of aerospace dimensions and outstanding physical fitness.
In addition to receiving the award, Jacobson was also promoted to cadet captain and said being able to have his father present the Earhart award and his mother be a part of his promotion was a special moment for him.
“I'm pretty thankful that they were able to come here and do that," said Jacobson. "We weren't really planning on having a ceremony because like a ton of things fell through, but that just having them there, that was more than enough for me.”
The Earhart award was created in 1964 to commemorate the first woman to complete a solo trans-Atlantic flight and in a note to the Civil Air Patrol, Earhart's sister termed it "the kind of award Amelia would choose herself."
Jacobson said receiving the award was a great honor and hopes to fulfill its duties as a now cadet captain.
“It's definitely a big step up in my own personal leadership. I get to teach a broader spectrum of cadets," said Jacobson.
As for what's next for Jacobson?
He hopes to earn the Civil Air Patrol's coveted Spaatz award, an award that only five in every 1,000 cadets will achieve, before attending the United States Air Force Academy and serving in the Air Force.
