NAPLES, Fla. — Six Collier County students are reaching for the stars, as they were chosen for the fifth annual NAACP Leadership in Flight Training.
For two of the students, they're in it together.
"We're stoked about it!" said Reyna Lucrecio, a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) student at Naples High School. "We were really surprised about it at first and it was like ‘we’re going together to this,' so we’re going to try it out together."
Lucrecio and her friend Sara Henao Blandon are two of the six students who earned their spots on this years squadron.
"I feel like we’re gonna have a really good time and learn like a lot of new stuff," said Henao.
For these driven students, their dreams of going into the U.S. Air Force started at Naples High School in the JROTC program.
"It’s like a huge family, and you learn things not only like the military but as a person too," said Lucrecio. "Not only wearing the uniform, but what the uniform means. That’s what really made me want to do this."
Being in the military has been a lifelong dream for Haneo, and she plans to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado after graduation in May 2024.
"I want to put my education first and they’ll give me that," said Haneo. "At the same time I can serve my country, so I thought that was the best option."
At the end of July, all six students will head to the Naval Airbase in Pensacola, where they will use top of line military simulation programs to enhance their knowledge.
"Here’s an opportunity for 21st century education to be applied in real life," said Vincent Keeys, NAACP of Collier County President.
Through aviation-related tasks, the students will get a sense of what a career in aviation looks like.
"We just hope that the bug bites them, and they will decide where they want to be in this industry," said Keeys.
The students were sent off by family and friends at the Naples Airport, but now they must prepare for the educational adventure of a lifetime.
