For 17-year-old Jason J. Perez, a senior at John F. Kennedy High school, the sky has never just been the limit, it’s been his destination.

“Flying solo–going up in the plane, you just know, this is what I want to do,” said Perez. 

His passion for flight taking root in childhood, inspired most by his father, who has spent decades in the aviation industry.

“I’ve been an aircraft mechanic for 28 years and for 15 years I’ve been taking him to my work—so, I guess that’s where he picked up his dreams of becoming a pilot,” added Ruperto Perez, Jason’s dad. 

This summer, that dream truly took flight.

Perez is one of just two young men from guam to earn a private pilot certificate through an intensive 8-week flight academy at Southeastern University, offered by the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.

He and his fellow islander joined 14 other students from across the nation, selected through a competitive application process that measured physical fitness, aviation knowledge, leadership, and more.

“At the University I went to, typical college students take 32 weeks to get their private pilot's license. So, they throw us in there and they give us 8 weeks to do it,” Perez. 

And by the program’s end, he wasn’t just taxiing toward takeoff, he was soaring.

“This award is called the aviation leadership award, and junior ROTC asks each school to select one cadet for this–and we give them criteria and we ask them to look at work ethic, attitude, academic performance, aviation skills, service to others, character, leadership and citizenship,” added Perez. 

Perez had already been making his mark above the runway, logging 15 hours in the aim high flight academy and completing his first solo flight at just 16.

But the lessons he brings back home aren’t just written in flight logs.

“You’re gonna learn that concept as you start flying. You’re gonna realize that redundancy in aviation is a very big thing. It’s about having things you can fall back on. So, that’s definitely something you can learn about being a pilot, and also just apply it to your life in general,” said Perez. 

With his certificate in hand, Perez now sets his sights on his next destination.

“My aspirations after high school are to continue my education–despite wanting to be a pilot, I also want to be an engineer or study engineering and then eventually find my way into being a pilot—whether that be through military or through commercial aviation,” said Perez. 

And to other young dreamers, he offers these words of encouragement:

“There are so many opportunities for you to excel, and it’s all up to you to take those opportunities and not be afraid of being told no. Just like in aviation, there’s a bunch of redundancy–there’s backup things to fall back on, there’s always going to be something else you can do,” he said.