One word comes to mind when you meet Aubrianna Mayette: determined. By the end of the month, she’ll enlist in the Air National Guard. “I’ve pretty much always known I was going to be in the military,” she said. Her family has a long history of service, and she participated in Junior ROT C at Enosburg Falls High School, where she is currently a senior. “I want to be able to serve my country and do the job that sparks magic inside me. And I want to be happy that I’m there and working with the people that I’m working with.”  In the fall, she’s heading to Clarkson University to earn a degree in aerospace engineering and work toward her dream position in the military, Crew Chief.  “When you’re in that role, you are assigned a plane that you are basically the project manager for,” she explained. “You’re in charge of the people, the plane, the paperwork, everything. And two degrees are highly preferred.” Along with her engineering degree, she plans to become an airframe and power plant mechanic, which requires three months of work, with four hundred hours (minimum) of training, along with three tests to demonstrate competency and skill.  When she puts service and aerospace engineering together, she’s excited for everything her future holds. “I’m a do-er. A figure-outer,” she shared. “When I was little and it was just my mom and I, there were good times and tough times, but we had this thing we would say: ‘we won’t quit today. Today I will thrive, tomorrow I will figure it out.’” It’s stuck with Aubrianna. While she has high aspirations, she also is very practical about her future. A 101 on college and financial aid Aubrianna’s mom was very honest with her from the start of her college search: Aubrianna would have to figure out the financial piece. “At a young age, my mom taught me how to manage money, be responsible, and take ownership of this goal,” she said. “She’s a huge influence in my life, and I appreciate that honest conversation so much. I knew I didn’t want to be in my 40s with crushing debt.” So, starting her freshman year of high school, Aubrianna met regularly with Emily Richard-Douglas, an outreach counselor in VSAC’s Talent Search program.  Emily helped Aubrianna navigate everything, giving her a “101” on the college application and financial aid process, helping her write an impactful essay, and figure out what her financial aid package means for her. “VSAC has been my rock,” Aubrianna added.  With the assistance of the Talent Search program, Aubrianna was able to closely consider nearly ten colleges to find the right fit. “It really expanded my options, because without the flexibility they gave me and the fact that VSAC covered the application fee. I really would have been limited to one, maybe two colleges. We couldn’t afford the application fees,” she noted. She especially appreciates Emily’s reassurance. “She’s been there when I have my stressful moments, and makes me see I can get through it,” she laughed.  While Aubrianna was initially a little apprehensive about the high tuition at Clarkson, she has a strong financial aid package and has applied for every scholarship she can think of. Emily found some for Franklin County residents that Aubrianna is eligible for, and together they worked through the VSAC scholarship booklet. Aubrianna is especially proud of the merit scholarship she received from Clarkson, and, once she’s enlisted, there are options through the Guard as well.  Involvement in Miss Vermont Teen and Habitat for Aviation inspired Aubrianna, and set her up for success Aubrianna is also involved in Miss Vermont Teen. There are scholarships available for contestants and the winners, and she received $1,700 last year from the organization. Those funds more than covered her deposit at Clarkson. “I was so excited about that. I didn’t have that money otherwise,” she said. In addition to the scholarships, Aubrianna was drawn to Miss Vermont Teen because of the community service aspect of it, and the fact that involvement was an opportunity to build her leadership skills.  She’s enthusiastic about spreading the word about her work on The Orange Ribbon Project, which helps teens who are struggling with self-harm and mental health. It’s an initiative Aubrianna started following her own mental health struggles as an adolescent. “My work on The Orange Ribbon Project even helped me get additional community service scholarships. I’m able to give back and provide a lasting impact to my community.” In addition to her community service and involvement in Miss Vermont Teen, Aubrianna is part of Habitat for Aviation, a non-profit that sparks interest in aviation for girls. It’s what initially got her interested in airplanes and aerospace engineering. “We are currently building a plane,” she noted eagerly. “I arrived on the first day of the build and it’s really just sparked my interest in engineering, aviation maintenance, and everything I’m interested in doing in my career.” The women she’s met through Habitat have made a big impact on her too. Beth White, the founder, told Aubrianna she was destined for a career in aviation. “That meant a lot to me, and stuck with me.” she said. And Beth’s been a great role model too, showing Aubrianna and the other Habitat participants what’s possible, and how to keep going when things get tough.  Aubrianna looks forward to exploring and learning at Clarkson next year. Her acceptance to the school —and the financial aid package that makes attendance possible—is especially valuable to her as she wants to be close enough to home to stay involved with her little sister, who is just four years old. She plans to enlist soon and will be part-time in the Air National Guard until she completes her degree. While she’s naturally a little nervous, she has confidence in her decisions and feels excited for all that her future holds.  The Vermont Student Assistance Corp. was created by the Vermont Legislature in 1965 as a public nonprofit agency. We advocate for Vermont students and their families to ensure that they have the tools they need to achieve their education and training goals. We create opportunities for all Vermont students, but particularly for those—of any age—who believe that the doors to education are closed to them. Growing families save for education with VT529, Vermont’s official 529 savings program. To help Vermonters plan and pay for college or job training, our counselors work with students in nearly every Vermont middle school and high school, and are also available to work with adults. Our grant, scholarship, and workforce development programs create opportunity, help students re-skill or learn new skills, and grow the economy. VSAC’s loan, loan refinance, and loan forgiveness programs provide competitive education financing to students and families. Find us at www.vsac.org or visit Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Read the story on VTDigger here: Aubrianna Mayette is soaring toward a future in aerospace engineering with the Air National Guard. ...read more read less