"What’s interesting is that I was actually a professional ballet dancer for 16 years, and while I loved dancing, I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to join the military. My mom worked in my grandfather’s diesel engine shop, so I grew up around cars and learned about mechanics from both of my parents.
My love for cars is just going to translate. If you have a passion for it, it’s going to help you be more efficient in what you do and learn more from others around you...it’s going to give you that motivation to do better at your job.
I’m currently an intern at an auto shop in Lynchburg where I go to school, so when I looked online for jobs in the Air National Guard and found Aircraft Maintenance I thought, because I already have some background and I’ve always wanted to be a pilot, this would be good preliminary experience.
I’m looking forward to being around the F-22 and learning (I love learning) about how it’s different and similar to auto mechanics and then applying those lessons later on in pilot school." --Kristina Lorelli, Virginia Air National Guard Student Flight trainee