Nick Duran’s CS-29 Legacy

The cadets of Cadet Squadron 29 are fundraising to create a memorial for C2C Nicholas Duran who passed away on June 24th as the result of a single engine plane crash. Nick was passionate in all aspects of his life. He worked ceaselessly towards earning his private pilot’s license and aspired above all to be an Air Force pilot upon graduation from USAFA. As dedicated as Nick was to his dreams, he was more passionate towards his commitment to those around him, especially his family. He was described to be “the most positive cadet I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting”. Nick was a brother, exuding constant joy and bearing an infectious smile, eager to share his love with everyone around him. He cared for those around him in action and word, regardless of whether he knew them. He was a catcher for the Air Force Baseball Team where he impacted not just his friends, but every individual with whom he interacted. To describe Nick as inspiring would be an understatement; Nick was one of the best. It was easy to see how much the underclassmen of CS-29 looked up to and respected Nick. He consistently checked in with cadets who were struggling and used what he learned during his time as a cadet to help others be their best. In the words of one of Nick’s former fourth class cadets, he “balanced discipline with kindness, leadership with humor, and high expectations for our class with a genuine desire for our well-being, and he did it all selflessly.” Money raised will go towards 3 different lines of effort to remember Nick. First, it will fund a gift that CS-29 will present to Nick’s family as a token of our appreciation for all the work he put into our squadron. Second, a memorial case will be built within CS-29 to commemorate Nick’s accomplishments at USAFA and impact on others. Finally, all additional funds will go towards the CS-29 support fund to continue Nick’s legacy of positivity impacting those around him. All donations are greatly appreciated and we ask you keep Nick’s family in your thoughts and/or prayers.