While most teens will be savoring the lazy days of summer, a Kennesaw high schooler is set to soar to new heights. Alexis Holmes, a local student at North Cobb High School, has been chosen as one of the lucky few to participate in the highly competitive U.S. Navy Summer Flight Academy, an intensive aviation program hosted by Delaware State This Summer.
The program, coinciding from June 9 to August 2, 2024, selects a mere 28 high-performing 11th and 12th graders from across the nation. Holmes will plunge into a rigorous schedule, including training in either the Vulcanair V.10 single-engine aircraft or a Piper Warrior (PA-28). Besides the classroom work, she's tasked with completing 17 hours of solo flights, an impressive feat for any young pilot-in-training.
Tamara Graham, the deputy director and CNAF Flight Academy program manager, described the purpose of the scholarship program. "The goal of the scholarship program is to inspire and expose exceptional young talent from communities across the nation to a career path in Naval Aviation," Graham stated according to FOX5 Atlanta. Graham added that Holmes "has demonstrated incredible potential, and the Navy is honored to play a part in her personal and professional journey."
The Cobb high flyer will not only gain invaluable flight experience but also earn her private pilot certification and five college credits – all without the financial burden. The Navy covers the $28,000 program cost in full. During the summer program, Holmes will rack up a minimum of 32 hours of classroom aviation academics and at least 40 hours of flight training, as noted in a news release covered by WSB-TV.
Holmes' aerial ambition is part of a broader Navy initiative to boost exposure and attract diverse young talents to naval aviation careers. And with the summer skies awaiting, Holmes is ready to chart her course and perhaps, the lay groundwork for her peers to follow.
