Shawanda Millender and Karmen Ingraffia may look like your everyday kindergarten teachers, but behind their warm smiles are two educators who recently reached new heights, literally.
Both Trimmier Elementary teachers are Aerospace Education Members (AEMs) with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP)and recently took part in CAP’s Teacher Orientation Program (TOP) Flight, a hands-on aviation experience that gave them the chance to step into the cockpit and bring real-world learning back to their students.
Flying out of Skylark Field in Killeen with an experienced CAP pilot, the two received a preflight briefing and learned key aviation principles before takeoff. With special clearance from Gray Army Airfield, they made several passes over Trimmier Elementary, where staff members gathered outside to wave and capture the moment their teachers soared overhead.
Then came the most exciting part both had the opportunity to take the controls.
Millender flew first, guiding the aircraft and navigating through a cloud with limited visibility.
“When I first took the controls, I felt a rush of fear followed immediately by courage,” she shared. “For a moment, I couldn’t see anything at all. It was unsettling, but it was also powerful. From above, things look quieter, smaller, and more hopeful. That experience reminded me that sometimes you have to move through uncertainty to find clarity.”
Ingraffia, who has been a CAP member for nearly a decade, had been waiting for the right timing to schedule her TOP flight. She didn’t expect she would get the chance to fly the plane herself until the preflight briefing. While she admitted it was nerve-wracking, she’s grateful she pushed herself.
Both teachers had personal reasons for taking flight. For Millender, it was about modeling courage. “I hope my students understand that learning never stops not even for their teacher,” she said. “I want them to see that it’s okay to feel nervous when trying something new, but courage means doing it anyway. If their kindergarten teacher can face her fears and keep learning, then they can try hard things too whether it’s reading a new word, solving a hard math problem, or just believing in themselves.”
For Ingraffia, the experience connects directly to her passion for STEM and her desire to spark curiosity early. “I want my students to know that when an opportunity arises to step out of their comfort zone, they should take it,” she said. “You never know what interest, or talent you might discover until you try something new.”
Through her involvement with CAP, Ingraffia has also been able to apply for grants that support robotics and classroom technology, expanding hands-on learning opportunities at Trimmier.
Experiences like this don’t just create memories for teachers they help build momentum in the classroom. Killeen ISD is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of educators like Shawanda Millender and Karmen Ingraffia and to champion the kind of opportunities that turn curiosity into confidence and bring real-world learning back to students.