Second Lieutenant John J. Ottusch V received his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering—and a handshake from President Obama—at the United States Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo. May 23. The 2008 Malibu High grad underwent basic training, served as a flight commander in charge of training his cadet squadron and graduated among 1,073 cadets at the academy.
Ottusch earned a spot on the dean’s list every semester but one. In order to make the dean’s list, students must earn a semester GPA of 3.5 or higher. The newly minted second lieutenant will now begin pilot training in the U.S. Air Force.