Matt Fairchild

Classroom

Fairchild carries a 3.55 cumulative grade point average and 3.65 grade point average in his specialized coursework of systems engineering management.  He ranks in the top 10 percent of his class of 1,026 cadets.  In addition, Fairchild has made himself eligible for the RAND Scholarship.  A presence on the Dean’s List every semester, Fairchild has been named academic all-conference three times.

Character

Fairchild was selected to serve as an assistant captain for the 2009-10 Air Force hockey season.  He has been named to the commandant’s list for military excellence two times and was a cadre for Basic Cadet Training, teaching the day-to-day skills of life as a cadet to freshmen during the summer of 2008.  The following summer he was the controller in the BCT Command Center, serving as the central point of communication and information for all cadets and staff in the wing.  He was also responsible for the accountability for all cadets.  After being named the MVP of the conference tournament, Fairchild gave the award to goaltender Andrew Volkening because he felt he was more worthy of the award than himself.

Community

Fairchild has volunteered with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, assisting with the Walk for a Cure and the Gala Event.  Also, he assisted with the course setup for the M.S. Lifeline Walk.  He also coordinated a hockey station.  Fairchild has helped with the Adopt a Highway program, helping to clean up the sides of roads with members of the local community.  He has helped coordinate the team’s trip to the local Children’s Hospital during the holiday season where he visited children, played games and handed out toys collected during the team’s annual toy drive.  Additionally, Fairchild has visited students at various elementary schools in the area to talk about the importance of education and the game of hockey.

Competition

Fairchild was named MVP of the Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament in 2009 and helped lead Air Force to its third straight league championship.  He was a third-team All-AHA selection and notched 17 goals and 37 points in 41 games during the 2008-09.  In addition, Fairchild led the AHA and was second in the nation with four short-handed goals scored.  He scored three of Air Force’s five goals in the AHA Final Four and assisted on the second goal in the 2-0 win over Michigan in the NCAA Tournament.  This was Air Force’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.