Mercer Alumni Spotlight - Billie Botes

A woman in uniform standing by a serene lake, exuding confidence and professionalism.

Billie Botes - Class of 2019

United States Air Force Academy - Class of 2025

Pursuing a bachelor of science in behavioral science with a focus on psychology

Three soldiers in uniform standing on a concrete floor.

Billie is currently at the Air Force Academy finishing up her second year. She is on the Air Force Division 1 Boxing Team, won the 2023 Wing Open Championship for her weight class (139), and fought in the Western Regionals Competition in Concord, California. She is pursuing a bachelor of science in behavioral science with a focus on psychology. In addition to this, she is minoring in Chinese. 

Two women wearing boxing gear, training in a gym.

She earned the Commandant's Award for military excellence for three semesters straight. The past summer she had the opportunity to fly the MQ9 reaper drone in a simulator from target acquisition to target destruction. She completed Combat Survival Training which included 8 days in the desert with barely any food or shelter. She holds her own amongst 4,000 of the most qualified in the country.

Billie is currently holding the position of Senior Enlisted Leader Executive Assistant for Cadet Squadron (CS) 14. Her duties in that position include submitting paperwork to be approved for nine murals to be placed in the squadron, creating and implementing a squadron cleaning schedule, improving the coach/coaches mentorship system, and administering disciplinary paperwork in a respectful way that encourages positive reform.

All of these accomplishments have helped to foster a more cohesive environment between the cadets of CS14. In addition to this job, Billie is also a personal ethics and education representative (PEER). In this job, she sets up morale events in her squadron, is an advocate for subordinate and peer mental health, and assists in crises to improve the fighting capability of her peers.

A woman in uniform carefully attaches a badge to her chest.

This upcoming summer may include several weeks in Taiwan participating in an immersion program where she lives with a Chinese family to learn the culture and improve her language skills. That will be followed by three weeks on a major Air Force Base which may include a flight in the backseat of an F16! Billie will graduate in May of 2025 and is planning to either continue on to pilot training or pursue a career in intelligence.

A woman engrossed in a video game on her computer, fully focused and immersed in the virtual world.

In the picture above, Billie is flying the MQ-9 Reaper Drone Simulator. I believe this was from a final test during a summer session. Her team placed first. Billie was pilot in command, and she had a team handling support duties providing information for target acquisition,  permission to fire, and tracking. Billie would maneuver the drone and pull the trigger. 

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Check out the links below for more from Billie's Air Force Academy experiences!