Junior aerospace engineering major Shelby Smith hopes to become a Navy fighter pilot.
From training in a Naval ROTC program to holding a governing position in the university’s Delta Delta Delta sorority, junior aerospace engineering major Shelby Smith defies the typical college stereotype.
The 20-year-old Baltimore native aspires to achieve one of the most highly coveted positions in the military — a Navy fighter pilot. She was first inspired to join the armed forces by Tom Cruise’s character Maverick in the 1986 film Top Gun and pursued military involvement in college for its breadth of opportunity.
“I just wanted to give back somewhere in the world and make it somewhere and do something different, and the military was the way to go for that,” Smith said.
This summer, Smith was selected for a scholarship in the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program, which guarantees a position for her in flight school when she graduates, and she will sign a nine-year commitment to the U.S. Navy in December. When she graduates from this university, Smith will enter into a three-month boot camp at Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., and from there she will begin a two-year program at naval aviation school in Pensacola, Fla.
Smith said while keeping busy is important to her, she recognizes her life is unlike that of the typical college student.
“My college experience is probably a lot different than most people,” she said. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t have time to breathe, but then again if I did have time to breathe I’d feel lazy, so I try and fill up my schedule as much as possible.”
Because this university does not offer a Navy ROTC program, Smith travels — along with dozens of other university students — to George Washington University three to four times a week for military courses and physical training, often waking up at 4 or 5 a.m. for the trip.
“You have to make sacrifices if you want to get places,” she said.
Friends and teachers said they believe Smith’s steadfast determination will lead her to success.
“She brings the fitness package, she brings participation and involvement with the unit — she’s kind of like a model midshipman,” said Lt. James Hostetler, Smith’s former military adviser and a navigation professor at George Washington.
Although women are a minority in the military — and especially as fighter pilots — Smith said she is adamant about bypassing gender barriers.
“There should be no, ‘Oh, she’s a female officer, she’s not as good as a male officer,'” she said. “Physically you have to uphold the same standards, ethically you have to uphold the same standards. Everything should be the same.”
Smith said training and working in a male-dominated world doesn’t faze her.
“I guess the military is kind of an unknown, so a lot of girls are like, ‘Yeah that’d be awesome but I wouldn’t want to be put in that environment,'” Smith said. “I am obsessed with change and doing new things — stuff outside my comfort zone. It just doesn’t bother me one bit.”
Another important facet of Smith’s life is her sorority, where she serves as delegate for the university’s Panhellenic Association. Though the connection between her involvement in Greek life and her other interests seems to contrast, Smith said it makes perfect sense.
“Greek life and the military, or at least ROTC, are actually structurally built almost the exact same way,” she said. “It’s definitely the same concepts: leadership, learning how to work together within a group and giving back to the community.”
And her friends said they admire Smith’s successes.
“She’s one of the most passionate people to each of those things she’s involved in,” said senior accounting and finance major and sorority sister Lauren Bailey, who mentioned Smith is also training for a marathon to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Whenever she gets a challenge she’s going to take it on and make sure that she gets the job done.”
marcot@umdbk.com
