Alumna Spotlight | Airman Sharon Villacres-Baracaldo ’18

This Veterans Day, Cathedral High School honors and remembers in prayer all of the men and women who have served in our country’s armed forces, and all who are currently serving. In honor of Veterans Day, we are delighted to highlight E-2 Airman Sharon Villacres-Baracaldo ’18! Sharon was born in Colombia, and after her family moved to the states, she attended a Catholic grammar school in New York. As an eighth grade student, Sharon attended Cathedral High School’s Open House and was immediately attracted to the camaraderie and sisterhood of the student body. Generous support from Cathedral’s benefactors allowed Sharon to attend the following year!

Reflecting on her high school education, Sharon shared that the faculty and classes helped her to become a well-rounded and good person. She fondly remembers a faculty member she felt that she could always confide in and trust: Sr. Patricia Deasy, her guidance counselor. Sharon frequently visited her office to chat and talk about life, among many other students!

After graduating, Sharon entered the workforce as an administrative assistant for a corporate group and then as a billing coordinator for a law firm, but after a few years, she experienced a call and desire to dedicate herself to a noble enterprise—she enlisted in the United States Air Force. Sharon is the first in her family to serve in the military, and her willingness to sacrifice for her country has opened huge opportunities; in just one year, she has moved to three states and has met numerous people at each base. 

As an E-2 Airman, Sharon is currently stationed at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma and works in Air Force Services, which focuses on providing essential support to maintain the quality of life, morale, and welfare of Airmen. Services include Food Service Specialists who prepare, cook, and serve meals to ensure that Air Force personnel receive nutritious meals. Sharon participated in three qualifying cooking competitions on her base over the course of a few months and was selected to represent Altus AFB at the first Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff, or SHEF, sponsored by the Air Force Services Center and its industry partner Aramark. The event was hosted at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, and Sharon competed against culinary Airmen representing 11 different bases. 

Leading up to the event, Sharon sometimes stayed up to two hours after her work shift in order to train. She felt confident with her preparation and set a personal goal to place in the top three. For the event itself, participants were given 100 minutes to prepare, cook, present and clean their kitchen spaces. Using the ingredients in her ‘mystery basket’ for the Chopped-style competition, Sharon prepared a Salmon chorizo with a Creamy Chorizo Tomato Sauce, inspired by her Latin roots. Though she was the last to serve the judges her dish, she won the first place prize! Sharon shared, “It felt surreal to win!” and was especially grateful that her Commander drove 9 hours just to support her in the competition. 

Sharon encourages current Cathedralites to enjoy their high school years, because they really fly by, and take opportunities that life offers while you have them before you. We are so proud of her accomplishments so far during her service to our country! May God bless you, Sharon, and all of our servicemen and women!

Sharon is also featured in an article published by the Air Force Installation & Mission Support Center, and you can check out the full story here. 

(U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte)