Soaring to New Heights
Sam Iller, senior at Schaumburg High School, received a scholarship from Humanity Rising, funded by Gebruder Weiss, based on her service with Adventures in Appalachia. Sam has committed to Dubuque University for the Fall of 2025.
Read Gebruder’s article here and Sam’s essay below.
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Calling somewhere home is a privilege that many people take for granted. I know what home is because I was surrounded by a loving family who taught me how to understand safety and comfort.
But it wasn’t until my mission trip this summer that I fully witnessed the struggle in others' lives. Tackling a cement issue of poverty in the areas of Tennessee and all over the US, I encountered families who lacked the basic comforts many people overlook. A big thing I had to realize was that many families didn’t grow up with the same commodities as I did.
The homeowner we met on the first day of construction told us why it was important for the house to be redone. According to the social workers, their house was unfit to call a home for their newborn son. How were they supposed to love under a roof with no meaning, no reason, no comfort, no family?
One of the biggest accomplishments in my life is just being able to say I helped them build back their home. I wasn’t only making a promise that we’d work on her house, but I was truly expanding on a bigger issue. I was tasked with reassuring her that future generations weren’t going to have to face the same struggles and hardships.
This experience really left me with an ideology that I could carry with me through life; to serve others showed me how important it is to have complete devotion to those who put all their faith into you. I truly believe the impact of this ideology speaks volumes into my career of one day becoming a commercial pilot.
When boarding a flight, the passenger has to bottle up all their fears and anxiety and place it on my shoulders, which, as a pilot, I’m willing to keep that promise on a daily basis. On a normal commercial flight of around 150 people, the selection of doctors, first responders, mothers, fathers, lawyers, surgeons all place a trust on the person operating the flight. The people boarding are texting their loved ones goodbye whether they're leaving for college, moving away, or being deployed for 6 months.
Every time a passenger steps into the cabin, they bring with them a story, a moment of farewell, reuniting with a loved one, or starting a new life. My commitment to ensuring their safety and comfort mirrors the devotion I felt while serving those in need. I won’t just be navigating the skies; I’ll be guiding individuals through their personal journeys, providing them with the reassurance they need to feel secure.
My job is to shoulder their fears of what could happen and guarantee them a safe flight. Serving others is what I felt called to do, and being able to rebuild homes in Appalachia showed me that I was strong enough to carry the weight of every passenger's emotions.
By recognizing the profound emotional responsibility that comes with being a pilot, I know I can provide the reassurance and stability that every passenger deserves.
Just as I helped rebuild homes in Appalachia, I am ready to guide every flight with care and compassion, ensuring that every journey feels like coming home. It’s this dedication to service, grounded in empathy and responsibility, that truly prepares me to take to the skies.
Written by Sam Iller
