An Army captain, a trained aviation pilot, a philanthropist, a barrier-breaker, a trailblazer and an inspiration for women in male-dominated fields — meet Savannah Baker ’17.
Since graduating from Lansing High School as valedictorian, Baker has made her mark in both her educational and career endeavors.
She was recognized as the youngest cadet at the West Point Military Academy at age 16, and since then, has continued to establish herself as a strong yet humble force, serving her country as well as young women and girls around the world.
But, her exceptional start in the military didn’t just come out of thin air.
“Lansing, Kansas is close to Fort Leavenworth, so I’ve been surrounded by the military my whole life,” Baker told FOX4’s Kristen Palmer.
“I would say my biggest inspiration is my parents. Getting to watch them deploy multiple times while we were kids and being the best parents in the world, but also have this military career I aspire to do.”
While at West Point, Baker studied mechanical engineering, allowing her to hone her craft in aviation.
“I selected aviation as my career track out of West Point, and then I attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where I flew helicopters initially,” she said.
Baker started her pilot career flying conventional planes but was eventually sent to her first deployment in the Republic of Korea.
While there, she invited the Girl Scouts to the hangar to learn about aviation and sit in the cockpit so they, too, could feel what it’s like to be a pilot.
“Never sell yourself short, and if you want to be a doctor or pilot, go for it,” Baker encouraged the girls. “You just have to work hard and be dedicated to the profession. You have to set goals and attain them.”
