LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
She grew up an Army brat.
With both parents in the U.S. Army, she moved from place to place every two to three years.
When people asked where she was from, her response was always Maryland, but only because her family spent more time there than anywhere else.
Despite moving so often, she managed to excel in school, keeping a 3.8 grade point average and acting as the student council president at her high school. She applied and was accepted to several colleges. She picked her school of choice, reserved a dorm room and went to freshman orientation.
After spending so much time working hard in school and planning for college, friends and family members were shocked when she told them she would be enlisting in the U.S. Air Force.
Senior Airman Alexis Shaw, 633rd Surgical Operations Squadron health service management technician, faced a lot of opposition from those around her when she shared the news.
"My parents were the only ones that were really supportive," Shaw said. "Other family and friends couldn't understand why I had so much going for me in school, yet I decided to join the Air Force."
Shaw defended her choice to family and friends, telling them that it was not an obligation, it was not beneath her and no one forced her to join. To Shaw, it was a privilege.
"My parents instilled a lot of values into me when I was young," Shaw said. "To me, the Air Force core values are things we should live by everyday as people, not just as Airmen."
Did Shaw settle or take the easy way out by joining the Air Force? By the look of her career thus far, the answer is "no".
She serves as the president of Airmen Committed to Excellence, and is the Williams Hall dorm council president. Shaw also volunteers several hours at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Peninsula Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
"I wanted to go to college, but I didn't want to wait four years to finish my degree before I could start my career and start helping people," Shaw said. "I knew if I joined the Air Force, that I could start helping people right away and go to school while I was doing it."
Shaw still had to deal with critics after she joined the Air Force. When she arrived at the 633rd MSGS, she was told that getting promoted Below-The-Zone was out of her reach, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.
BTZ is a competitive early promotion program offered to enlisted Air Force personnel from the grade of Airman 1st Class to Senior Airman. This early promotion opportunity is restricted to elite Airmen who stand out from their peers and perform duties at a level above their current rank.
"I was told that Airmen in my career field almost never get BTZ because my job might not seem as important to the outside world," Shaw said. "I was told that jobs that get more attention tend to get BTZ. Once I was told I couldn't make it, I wanted to do everything in my power to prove them wrong."
Even after meeting her BTZ goal, Shaw continued to impress those around her. Chief Master Sgt. Steve Betancourt, 633rd Medical Group superintendent has heard Shaw's name at several Chief's Group and Langley Top Three meetings.
"Senior Airman Shaw epitomizes what the core values are all about," Betancourt said. "It's obvious that she not only meets standards, but exceeds them in every way."
So what advice would a high-speed Airman like Shaw give to new Airmen?
"Always continue to work hard," she said. "Don't ever let someone else deter you from your goals. There's always going to be someone who's going to tell you that you can't do it, so ignore them and stay focused."