Air Force’s Kyle Haak possesses global vision

(Photo by Paat Kelly)

Senior forward Kyle Haak has roamed frequently and far during his four years with the Air Force Academy. But now that his tasks, on campus and elsewhere, are winding down in volume, he has recommitted to making it known the AFA holds a special place in his heart.

“Beyond our play on the ice, I am also enjoying the little things off the ice too, such as the road trips with the team and the practices,” Haak told Pucks and Rec. “I will miss this group when I graduate soon.”

Haak is nothing if not a seasoned veteran when it comes to travel. Beyond 42 career out-of-town weekends around the Lower 48 plus Alaska with the Falcons hockey team, he has been around the world in pursuit of improving others’ lives.

Per an Air Force press release, Haak filled out his 2018 summer journal as follows: “completed an internship with Fluence Corporation in Caesarea, Israel, attended the International Desalination Association “Water Re-Use” Conference in Valencia, Spain, studied alternative energy in Reykjavik, Iceland and studied nuclear energy at Oak Ridge National Labs in Tennessee.”

“These experiences all have to do with using alternative forms of energy,” he explained. “I have learned about various ways of harnessing energy in all of these work experiences. However, beyond energy, the desalination projects I have worked on consist of removing salt from salt water. I have also explored how to produce electricity without greenhouse gas emissions.”

These endeavors garnered Haak a nomination for NCAA men’s hockey’s Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The award recognizes student-athletes on the criteria of excellence in the classroom, character development, community service and competition.

Haak continues a dense string of Air Force ambassadors to the award’s hockey candidate pool. The Okemos, Mich. native is the 11th Falcon to become a top-10 finalist in the past 13 years.

“It is a big honor,” said Haak, who played with thee prior candidates from the AFA. “I am nominated with many amazing people. I remember Dylan Abood being nominated, who I respect very much.”

(Photo by Paat Kelly)

 

Last season, Abood distinguished himself by working at MIT Lincoln, designing a portable solar power system to assist with disaster relief. The year prior, Johnny Hrabovsky likewise cracked the award’s top 10.

In addition, when Haak was a freshman, Falcons goaltender Chris Dylewski garnered the Hockey Humanitarian Award. Dylewski’s community-service highlights included founding RISE, a nonprofit that teaches young people how to serve their communities. He also created Operation Safe, an organization focused on genocide and mass atrocities awareness.

While furthering Air Force’s presence on the ballot, Haak possesses a strong sense of humility in realizing there is much to be done around the world.

“All of these unique work experiences showed me how intricate and complex issues such as water’s availability is and how often it only goes to people who can afford it,” he said. “These experiences pushed me to become interested in policy-making and how we can make water available for all people.

“I think these experiences have led me to learn more about myself and the world. I have spent a lot of time traveling and learning how complex the world and its cultures are. It has been a humbling experience to work in so many parts of the world.”

With his head on a swivel between the present and future, Haak hopes to further his involvement in these causes through graduate programs. But he still has a small, yet significant block of space to fill on his undergraduate resume, which is already radiant as it is.

 

“I think these experiences have led me to learn more about myself and the world. I have spent a lot of time traveling and learning how complex the world and its cultures are. It has been a humbling experience to work in so many parts of the world.” – Kyle Haak

Beyond his notable accomplishments away from Colorado Springs, Haak distinguishes himself on campus. He is the Academy’s reigning Cadet of the Year, having been declared 2018’s most outstanding student in a body of 16,000.

“I think that being selected for this honor is a testament to the support I have been given since I have arrived at Air Force,” he said. “Hockey coaches, academic advisors and others have assisted me in all of the projects I have done, and I know I couldn’t do anything alone.”

This commitment to collaboration spills over into Haak’s volunteer efforts in the Colorado Springs community.

“I think in all of the service projects I have done, it has been a group effort,” said Haak. “We always volunteer for one event in the fall as a hockey squadron. These service projects showcase how much help we can do together when you bring your community together to do something good. It is a great thing to be a part of.”

In his time at Air Force, Haak has volunteered with Marion House Soup Kitchen to help feed the homeless (as did Abood), assisted families with special-needs children and worked with the American Red Cross to install fire detectors.

Beyond those accomplishments, Haak remains focused on what he and the Falcons can continue to achieve on the ice. With only a weekend home set against Holy Cross remaining in the regular season, Air Force sits third in the Atlantic Hockey standings.

Home ice is safe for the first round of the conference tournament. With that said, if the well-traveled Haak is to make at least one more excursion with his fellow pucksters, they must capitalize on that advantage. Having won each of the last two AHA playoff titles and been to the subsequent NCAA regionals, the Falcons crave another step.

“As a team, we look to get better each year,” said Haak, the team’s second leading scorer with 21 points and top goal-getter with 12. “We focus on each day and look for opportunities to win, whether that is in our conference, regionally or even nationally.”

-          John Morton