Two Bryant High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets, Kennedy Torres and Marian Budu, are living proof of what it means to Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Bryant. They were selected for the prestigious Air Force Flight Academy: becoming the first students in the district to complete the program and earn their private pilot’s licenses. The pair are among just 194 cadets worldwide chosen from more than 1,200 applicants for the $27,000 scholarship, which covers flight training, housing, and academics.
“Knowing [Kennedy and Marian] from the first day of their freshman year here at Bryant, they struck me initially as go-getters,” said ROTC Instructor Maj. David Tiller. “Most kids nowadays, they're lucky to get their driver's license and they're already with their private pilot's license. And I couldn't be prouder.”
Budu called the selection an unforgettable honor. “[It was] a feeling that I've never felt before. Realizing that I was one of only 190 in the whole nation chosen. So that's like a great privilege,” he said. Torres added, “I couldn't jump for joy when I was in class, but I was screaming on the inside.”
Tiller said their boldness and bravery are only the beginning. “I think for both Kennedy and Marian, the future is extremely bright,” he said. “One day when I'm old and gray, I fully expect to be disembarking an aircraft and look in the cockpit looking for Marian or looking for Kennedy. I really think the sky's the limit for these two.”