“In the future I hope to establish a flight school. I would love to introduce more minorities to the field of aviation. Through my passion for aviation, I aspire to manage my own aircraft business.”

When I was seven years old, someone I admired had a collection of model airplanes in his office. I would find myself being intrigued by them.  He encouraged me to become a pilot. Before he passed away, he gave me his collection of model airplanes and I still have them to this day. His words of encouragement helped guide me to find my passion in aviation.

Marcellus Lee Freeman, a college freshman from Chicago, loves planes. He spends hours on flight simulators, and more hours building and flying model airplanes (he belongs to the Chicago Model Masters).

But it’s the real stuff he aspires to fly—his goal is to be a commercial pilot, as well as a certified flight instructor so that he can help others.

Being a Tuskegee NEXT cadet is a blessing, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life learning new things and finding new heights from which to soar.