Horizon Honors’ Liam Proctor determined to fulfill his dream

It’s not typical for students to have a career set in mind before making it to college, let alone high school. Liam Proctor is an exception.

Proctor, a junior at Horizon Honors High School, has already set his eyes on the Air Force Academy. He began pursuing the Air Force at the age of 12, joining the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) at the earliest age possible.

“We were searching one night and it was right after my 12th birthday, and we searched, ‘How to become an Air Force cadet,'” Proctor said. “We went to the first meeting and I just fell in love with it from the start. I really liked the structure of the program. It’s just kind of who I am.”

From that point on, Proctor would do everything in his power to create a resume that would be undeniable. That included getting involved in sports at not only Horizon Honors but at a different high school as well.

For his home school, Proctor participates in cross country and track and field. He plays for Desert Vista for the Division II hockey team, serving as the team’s captain.

“It feels good to just be able to represent and say I’m not from the school, but showing that I can still do this,” Proctor said. “I don’t go to school with my teammates, so I’m not involved in whatever they’re doing outside hockey. At the same time, it also gives me a fresh perspective to see what’s going on.”

Back at Horizon Honors, Proctor is part of the school’s student council and the symphonic band.

But his biggest success comes in the classroom. Proctor currently carries a 4.61 weighted GPA and is a member of the National Honors Society.

“I don’t necessarily go for the letter. I try to seek understanding and the letter kind of comes with it,” Proctor said. “I’ll ask questions I need. I want to know how to do it so that I can do it later on if I ever need it and then the grade just comes with that as well.”

While his time in school has been devoted to ensuring he is the best student, his time outside of class has also been dedicated to giving back. Through his love of hockey, he’s helped out with the Junior Titans Program at AZ Ice Arcadia, which helps children learn the fundamentals of hockey. He also referees some youth games as well.

Proctor has also committed time to helping other organizations like NourishPHX, Feed My Starving Children and the Phoenix Public Library.

“It feels good to give back and it feels good to be teaching people,” Proctor said. “I really like to help other people to experience some joy that I have. That’s one of the reasons I commit my free time to all of those because I get a lot out of it.”

Being the standout role model has earned many benefits for Proctor in the CAP. Over the summer, he was named the Cadet Commander of the Willie Composite Squadron and had the chance to fly a plane on his own for the very first time.

“It was exhilarating once I finally took off and finally realized that I’m doing this by myself,” Proctor said. “That was a lot of fun and it really helped me build my confidence.”

Proctor has just a year and a half of high school left and still has eyes on the academy.

“As long as you’re always focused on serving the people that are beside you and helping them, good things will come your way,” Proctor said.