Valley Christian’s Mya Desgrosellier pursues love for aviation after early sports injury

Her future is up in the air, and Mya Desgrosellier wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Valley Christian School graduate started flight training at age 15 and got her pilot’s license last summer. She plans to work in aviation – but she’s still deciding on how.

A 2021 setback altered plans for Desgrosellier. She was playing varsity volleyball in eighth grade when she dove hard and badly injured her hip. Recovery was long and painful.

“Thankfully, it was during COVID and there were online school options,” said Desgrosellier, 18. Sitting at a school desk worsened her pain.

By sophomore year, Desgrosellier rekindled a childhood dream to learn to fly, first discovered in second grade with a family visit to the Skyfest airshow at Fairchild Air Force Base.

“Since that moment, of seeing all the demonstrations and the military jets fly, I knew I wanted to be in aviation,” she said.

“I begged my parents to take me to Felts Field, ‘Can I go see if I can do flight training?’ when I was 8. The flight school politely said, ‘Maybe wait a few years, come back when you’re 15.’ That just stayed in the back of my head.”

She transitioned to Valley Christian’s home-school accountability program and stayed connected with school activities. Simultaneously, she entered driver’s ed and Northwest Flight Service’s ground school.

Desgrosellier did a solo flight before her first solo drive.

“My main goal since I was very little was to solo on my 16th birthday, and I was able to do that.”

For most flight training costs, Desgrosellier earned scholarships from aviation groups. She recently joined in a Felts Field flight club to split use and costs toward two airplanes.

Desgrosellier, who fully regained her health, returned as a senior to the school’s volleyball team, which made it to state after a long gap.

“I was able to play in state volleyball after dealing with that hip injury and coming back strong, so it was a great full-circle moment.”

Desgrosellier also participated in track, and as a junior placed at state in high jump for 1B schools. Secretary of the school’s Honor Society chapter, with a 3.92 GPA, she took a few onsite elective classes this year.

Robert Chadduck, high school principal, described Desgrosellier as a model student who still showed perseverance during her recovery.

“We had to make some adjustments in her schedule,” Chadduck said. “It gave her a lot of flexibility.

“I don’t know that we could have done that for just any student, but being as responsible as she is, she was able to manage her classes and her time really well.”

Desgrosellier created “Myaflys,” to share her flight journey on social media and encourage young women in aviation.

She also co-hosted the Moses Lake Air Show a year ago and befriended A-10 Demo Team members, including pilot Lindsay Johnson. With that aircraft being retired, 2024 performances were the team’s last.

Desgrosellier isn’t military bound as of now, instead opting for a gap semester off to build social media content and flight hours, then a January 2026 study abroad program, Semester at Sea, to at least 10 countries.

“Other than aviation, one of my biggest dreams is traveling the world and seeing God’s creation,” she said. “College plans after that are up in the air.”

Her earlier goal was to play volleyball in college. When crushed, Desgrosellier said she drew support from friends and family, “but mainly it was trusting God’s will through that,” she added.

“Looking back, I’m grateful that God took that away from me, because I would not have rediscovered aviation. He showed me where I’d be the most happy, and where he wants me to be.”