A Journey of Faith and Flight

An epic eight-hour road trip. Missing home and battling doubt. An “aha” moment. This summer, John Caden, a senior at Cornerstone, dove headfirst into the U.S. Air Force’s Aim High Flight Academy adventure. Through this whirlwind experience, John Caden not only found his wings but also discovered a deeper purpose and a sense of belonging.
 

From Application to Acceptance

During the month of June, I was given the opportunity to travel to Troy, Alabama and participate in the U.S. Air Force’s Aim High Flight Academy. I originally heard about this program through Mrs. Hood in the fall of 2023 and decided I would apply knowing, however, that the acceptance rate was only around 100 out of 25,000. The application process was quite tedious and rigorous. It involved writing an essay about a challenging time in your life, creating a mind map about yourself, obtaining several letters of recommendation, submitting your transcript, academic, athletic, and extracurricular activities/achievements. After months of waiting, on May 2, 2024, I received a call from a U.S. Air Force Sergeant notifying me that I had been selected.

Dealing with Doubt

Upon arriving at the academy on June 1, I learned that I would be training with eleven other cadets, two Air Force mentors, and four flight instructors. While trying to get settled in, I began to doubt my qualifications for being there and longed to return home. I felt deprived of being with friends from Cornerstone and had a hunger and longing for God. At night, I began to spend long hours in prayer, personal self-reflection, and worship. God soon began to move in my heart and change my mind about being there. 

As time went by, I began enjoying the long days. A normal day consisted of waking up around 5 a.m. to run, spending 7-8:00 a.m. in the dining hall, and from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the classroom studying flight mechanics and weather. Training in a simulator room and flight time in the air was interspersed throughout the day.

Overcoming Challenges

Though learning to fly is an extremely challenging skill, it began to grow on me, and I enjoyed the process. Some of the biggest obstacles were radio calls and landings. I remember my lieutenant saying, “There will be some days you feel like quitting, so you either lose some tears or grow gray hair.” Those days definitely existed as the frustration of communicating a radio call adequately or failing to land correctly weighed heavy on me.  

Creating a Faith Community at the Academy

Though our schedule was packed, midway through the program, I felt led by the Lord to start a Bible study and offer a time of worship for those who wanted to join. I began to be more open about my faith and soon discovered a few other Christians in my group, one of which was the Master Sergeant. I shared my idea with my family, and they graciously agreed to make an eight-hour round-trip drive to drop off my guitar and a small sound system. With my Bible, guitar, and lots of prayers from family and friends back home, I began to host a Bible study every morning around 6:00 a.m. To my surprise, around six people showed up. Some topics that we discussed included trials and suffering, God’s love, and how to study the Bible. After each devotion, we ended in a time of worship. 

A Divine Purpose 

I soon came to the realization that God had sent me to this flight academy for a reason—maybe not so much for the purpose of becoming a pilot, but to be a light for Jesus and to spread the gospel. After the academy, I came away feeling very grateful and blessed that God had provided me with this opportunity to share His love with others and to help me fall in love a little more with Him after being able to view God’s glorious earth and all of His creation from the eye of a cockpit as a pilot. 

Make your mark right here at home. You don't need to leave the state to make a difference. As the 2024-25 school year approaches, we challenge you to pray about how you can get involved at Cornerstone. Start locally, inspire globally. Your impact begins now!