When discipline hockey midfielder Religion Schmidt ’25 graduates within the spring, she is going to stick with it a storied household legacy, one which takes place 45,000 toes within the air.
The Air Pressure Reserve Officers’ Coaching Corps cadet not too long ago obtained her pilot slot from the Air Pressure. Quickly after Graduation, she is going to discover out her base project, or the place she is going to spend roughly the following two years in flight college and coaching.
“I utilized for the pilot slot my junior yr, one of the crucial aggressive slots to get,” the St. Louis, Missouri, native mentioned. “I knew I had a aggressive bundle and there have been some good indicators coming in. When it was signed, sealed, and delivered, I used to be so completely happy, celebrating with my fellow cadets.
“I FaceTimed with my dad, and he simply hopped out of a fighter jet at Boeing. He flipped the digicam round to the fighter jet and advised me, ‘You’ll be in there someday!’”
The engineering sciences concentrator on the Harvard John A. Paulson College of Engineering and Utilized Sciences comes from a household of veterans. Her father spent greater than 20 years as a fighter pilot for the Navy, and now works as a take a look at pilot for Boeing. Each her grandfathers and her godfather additionally served within the army.
“When my dad was rising up, my grandpa would inform him in regards to the plane carriers he labored on through the Korean Conflict,” Schmidt mentioned. “My dad was fascinated by that have, and he joined Navy ROTC midway by way of his school expertise. There’s a lengthy line of army historical past in my household, however simply their ardour for service, the dedication for the folks round them, all that basically pushed me to go the army aviation route.”
Her earliest impressions of life within the clouds started in early elementary college when she watched her dad and her uncles, additionally pilots, fly collectively. When her father would ask his kids who needed to go up within the air, her hand instantly shot up. “I knew I needed to go, and people little moments all through my life pushed me to fly,” Schmidt mentioned.
“Religion has been climbing excessive and leaping off these heights since she was a toddler, starting from gymnastics, aggressive diving, and pole vaulting,” mentioned her mom, Cathy Schmidt.
Throughout her senior yr of highschool, Schmidt utilized for ROTC scholarships as she discovered another excuse to be drawn to the Air Pressure: the design of fighter jets. At Harvard, she balanced her engineering course load with commitments as a cadet, discipline hockey participant, and member of the Catholic Heart.
“Harvard is without doubt one of the solely locations I might have gone the place every thing works all collectively,” she mentioned, expressing gratitude for her coaches and teammates.
“They’ve been such a spine for me, I don’t suppose I might’ve accomplished ROTC and engineering with out them,” Schmidt mentioned. “Simply having two hours of apply daily, with a few of the most wonderful girls I do know, is such an excellent reset. I’ve been grateful for all the grins within the locker room and having the chance to chase that frequent aim. At any time when they see me on campus in uniform, they hype me up.”
“We all know a few of the sacrifices that lie forward for her,” Schmidt’s mom mentioned. “We respect her resolution to face these challenges with braveness and dedication. We couldn’t be extra proud that she has chosen to serve on this honorable occupation.”
