Seventeen-year-old Anastasia Mitsky of The Dalles climbed her glider to 9,800 feet on her third solo flight, riding ridge lift and mountain wave currents in a rare and beautiful flight she will never forget.

From restoring sailboats to helping run a bakery, 17-year-old Anastasia Mitsky’s hands-on education shaped the discipline behind her glider success—proof that a life built on work, curiosity, and family can take a young pilot higher than they might first imagine.