Savannah Ashley, 19, has wanted to be a pilot since she was in grade school.

"I had to travel a lot to see my dad because he was living in another state. One time, I sat by a pilot for Delta Air Lines [at the airport]. He was on his way back from a trip. He started asking me why I wasn't scared to be flying by myself. I told him I had done this hundreds of times, and I loved being in the air -- it was the place I felt more at home than anywhere else. We got to talking about everything, and right then and there, as a fifth-grader, I knew what I was going to do in my life," she said.

Little did she know she would have the opportunity to fly as soon as her senior year of high school, thanks to an aviation scholarship provided through the newly developed Pilot Training Initiative at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center.

Ashley, who was living in Florida with her mother at the time, first heard about the program through her father living in Missouri. She moved to Missouri to begin her freshman year of high school, but found she would have to put her dream of flying on hold.

"It turned out you could not get into it until your senior year of high school, so I attended Thomas W. Kelly [High School] just waiting to get into this program," she said. "My senior year came around and I was the happiest person you could imagine. I signed up right away and just waited for classes to start."

Savannah Ashley poses for a photo with Don Grossheider, basic flight instructor at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. (Submitted photo)

Although Ashley had heard about the PTI before moving to Missouri, the program truly took shape last fall.

She ended up being in the first class to be offered the scholarship, among five other students -- all male -- and she was determined to win it.

"To win the scholarship, first of all you had to be in the program at the CTC. Then they asked you to write an essay about why you want the scholarship, how it would help you and what you would do with it once you got it," she said.

Her hard work paid off, and she was awarded the scholarship to enter the pilot training program.

With the scholarship, she gained access to free flight training and the ability to earn her private pilot's certification, meaning she eventually could make solo flights.

"Honestly, I was on cloud nine. I never thought they were going to pick me out of the kids in our class. *... When Mr. [Don Grossheider] told me I had won the scholarship, I was so surprised, and I just wanted to go flying right then and there. I could not wait to prove myself," she said.

Ashley went through training in the spring and since has flown solo, a dream come true. She plans to use her skills in the future to help others who share her vision.

"In the future, I want to use this in the form of training people how to fly," she said. "I had always wanted to go into the Air Force and fly planes. That was my biggest goal in life, but then my shoulder got really bad, and I couldn't do that. So I want to teach people how to fly. I want to see the expression on their face when they accomplish being able to fly. I want to help people accomplish their dreams."

Mostly, she wants to encourage others, especially young women, to follow their dreams, regardless of how big or small.

"I would tell other young women to go for it. Push yourself into accomplishing great things. For me, I was in a classroom with five boys and I was the only girl. It can be a little intimidating at first, but you just have to challenge yourself and work hard. Don't wait -- follow your dreams now," she said.

Ashley said she enjoyed the program because it demanded her total focus and determination.

"I think the best part was the challenges that came along with it. It's not an easy program and you really do have to work hard if you want to pass it," she said. "I think the most exciting part, though, was when I got to solo. You put so much effort into getting to that point, and when it really does happen, it is like a breath of relief. You feel like you accomplished so much because you went from not knowing how to fly a plane at all to being able to do it by yourself."

Since graduating from high school in May, Ashley has moved to Gainesville, Florida, to be near her family and boyfriend.

She attends Santa Fe Community College and plans to become a college history professor and, in her spare time, a flight trainer.

Even though she is not in Missouri anymore, her experiences here shaped her future and gave her lifelong memories in an unforgettable way.

"I would really just like to thank all the people that supported me and helped me through the program," she said. "If it wasn't for all the people at the airport, I would not be doing what I love to do, and I would not have this extended family. They are amazing. *... Thank you to everyone that helped me accomplish my dreams."

lyoung@semissourian.com

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