CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Ray Miller High School senior is making history in the sky — and she didn't even plan for it.
Marissa Perez, 18, is now a licensed drone pilot, breaking into a field where less than 5 percent of pilots are women.
It all started when Perez was randomly placed in a robotics class.
"I had no thought behind going into this, until I started the class. And then I was like this is actually really fun," Perez said.
What began as just a class quickly turned into something more. Perez studied hard and took the licensing exam — a moment she described as nerve-wracking.
"Once I pressed submit my heart sank. I was so nervous, I was like this is my fate right here," Perez said.
She passed. And now she's putting those skills to work in real time — flying, learning, and even shooting video during our interview.
I sat in on her drone class, where her teacher said Perez didn't just keep up — she stood out.
"She did it really fast. Usually, this is like a year long course. She finished it in like three months," Mr. Salazar said.
Perez says she hopes her achievement inspires more girls to see themselves in the field.
"It's so cool to think about like there's so little of us," Perez said.
And she believes that number will grow.
"It'll definitely start growing I feel like," Perez said.
After graduation, Perez says she's excited to use her drone skills to pursue her interest in photography.
She's also proud of how far she's come — and jokes that her next goal might be finally getting her driver's license.
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