Originally published as an Aspire2STEAM Scholar Spotlight. Story credit: Aspire2STEAM. Photo credit: Garland ISD

Aviation is not for the faint of heart. While planes are by far the safest form of transportation, to fly is to defy nature, physics, and everything that keeps us grounded. Of course, the ground feels safer and the open air more dangerous, but that hasn’t stopped the enduring human spirit. Flight is proof that human beings can do the impossible, that we can soar if we believe, and you bet that Mya Phillips, an Aviation and Aviation Management major at Henderson State University, can soar.

Few people have earned a first-degree black belt, much less earned one at eight, and much, much less earned a second-degree one, and at twelve no less. Mya, however, has. “I don’t know anyone else interested in aviation and martial arts,” laughed Mya. “But learning martial arts isn’t merely good exercise or about self-defense. It instilled in me the values of integrity, perseverance, and self-discipline, which I apply to all aspects of my life.”

Although Mya currently instructs taekwondo, she remembers when she was a student herself. “My instructor has been my role model since I was four years old. Walking into any kind of gym or training hall is intense. It’s hard not to compare yourself to others, especially when you’re barely four feet tall.”

Mya never succumbed to comparisons thanks to her instructor’s wisdom. “The most vital lesson he taught me was never to accept failure. He helped me understand that failure is not the problem — accepting it is. When you accept failure, you are ultimately giving up, and that’s worse than failing.”

When Mya earned her first-degree black belt, she proverbially flew for the first time in her life. “I realized then that anything is possible so long as I believe in myself. It solidified my mindset to preserve. Nothing is impossible if you’re willing to work for it.”

The black belt and future pilot also owes much of her success to the five core principles she lives by: integrity, indomitable spirit, perseverance, self-control, and discipline—the five tenets of taekwondo. “These values have shaped me into the person I am today, helping me excel in academics and extracurriculars.”

One such extracurricular activity outside of taekwondo is basketball. Tyrese Maxey, a point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, graduated from Mya’s school district and hosts basketball camps in her hometown while also supporting the Noon Exchange Christmas Party. This annual event provides for disadvantaged students in Mya’s community. His influence has led Mya, herself a point guard, to become a superstar in her school district. She’s received Player of the Year, MVP, Offensive MVP, and Block MVP honors, and has been on the Academic All-District list three times.

“I love basketball because it’s a team sport. It’s like being part of a family. You must communicate effectively and support one another. And as the point guard, you’re like a parent, ensuring everyone is in position and performing their responsibilities.”

On the topic of basketball versus taekwondo, Mya emphasized that both involve teamwork. While basketball is paced completely differently than taekwondo — which is less competitive, more meditative — you’re working alongside people in both, helping one another, passing the ball, or correcting a stance.”

As might be expected, teamwork is everything in aviation. A pilot doesn’t just work with their co-pilot; they work with flight attendants, air traffic control, other planes in the sky, and hundreds of other hardworking people, all dedicated to making the world a more unified place. Mya decided she wanted to join this international team when she took a discovery flight, an introductory flight where passengers get to casually experience piloting firsthand.

“The moment I was in the air, I knew with certainty that I wanted to become a pilot,” affirmed Mya. “I’ve never looked back.”

After Mya attains her Commercial Pilot Certificate, she intends to join Sisters of the Skies, a nonprofit that supports and mentors women of color in aviation. “I want to inspire and guide the next generation of aviators by sharing my experiences and principles. If I can soar, so too can you.” 

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