Lieutenant Ali Kozlina reported for active duty April 1, 2023, and is currently stationed in Jacksonville, Fla. Submitted photo

There are no safety nets in the sky.

Don’t bother telling Lt. Ali Kozlina what the odds are; she tends to ignore them.

The Seneca Valley graduate did not bother applying to any other colleges after her visit to the U.S. Naval Academy in high school, despite the academy accepting only 8% of applicants.

“I always like to be challenged,” Kozlina said. “I always like to push myself, so I felt going to the academy would definitely do that.”

At the Naval Academy, Kozlina ended up getting into flight school, also very selective.

Kozlina, who was commissioned in May 2022, pilots a Boeing P-8 Poseidon, a maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft used by the Navy to conduct surveillance and anti-submarine missions.