Earning Her wings

High School Senior Fulfills Dream

Story by Karen Ranft

Most teenagers are focused on getting their first set of wheels and ruling the road, but Seguin High School senior Brianna Steans has taken it a step higher by earning her wings to prove she is ready to take on the sky. She recently took the first step on a skyward journey as she shoots for the stars with her dream

“I wanted to earn my wings because it seemed fun,” Steans said. “It is essentially proof that I have flight experience in a plane, so someone will take me seriously enough to give me a chance to achieve the goals I have set for myself. I am a woman of color, aspiring to be an astronaut, and that’s not something you hear every day, but I am determined, so the opinions of others shouldn’t set me back. I know what I want, and I know the path I am going to take so I should be able to overcome anything.”

Steans was among the first group of Seguin High School Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) students to graduate from the Junior Flight Academy.The prestigious program selects students based on testimonials from their commanders. Training starts by teaching students the basics of flight and ends with each cadet single-handedly piloting a plane.

Flying the plane is more of a personal experience than being a passenger in one. The plane I flew was a four-seater, so it was much smaller than a commercial plane that I had been on before.

“I had been in a plane two or three times before actually flying a plane in the program,” Steans said. “The big difference is that flying the plane is more of a personal experience than being a passenger in one. The plane I flew was a four-seater, so it was much smaller than a commercial plane that I had been on before, so it just felt like I was actually flying in the air more than it does when you’re in a commercial plane.”

But Steans’s connectedness to the smaller plane wasn’t the only thing that gave her the feeling of freedom and confidence she needs to succeed.

“My favorite memory during the academy was above the clouds,” Steans said. “I don’t think I had any fears. I was confident that I was in good hands. It was so much fun to be in the plane so high up in the air. It feels and looks really amazing flying through the clouds. Not many people get to experience something like that, so it just felt even more amazing, and it’s something I’ll never forget.”

For Steans, the hardest part of the program was saying goodbye after experiencing authentic euphoria. However, with her fearless attitude in the face of adversity and her commitment to her dreams, the sky is no longer the limit, and soon she will be among the stars.