Thursday, September 16, 1999
Female Marine pilot tells girls: Dream big
BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT THOMAS — The woman in a military jump suit stood before the classroom. It hadn't been so long ago that she was like the students to whom she was about to speak — girls in Catholic school uniforms, wondering what they might become when they grow up.
Amy McGrath is a Marine fighter pilot now, full of lessons about how discipline and self-motivation can take a Northern Kentucky girl anywhere she wants to go.
A native of Edgewood, the 1993 Notre Dame Academy graduate was back in town Wednesday touting the merits of working hard and dreaming big to the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade girls at St. Thomas School.
“That's really the point I want to get across,” she said. “That it can be done.”
The girls had other questions, too. Like: Can a woman in the military get married? The answer is yes, though Lt. McGrath isn't. And, how old are you? She's 24.
She is on leave to be in her sister's wedding. In exchange for the time off, she agreed to give speeches to schools as a promotional boost for the Marines.
She told students about how she got into the Naval Academy, and then went on to become a first lieutenant in the Marines, as well as a paratrooper and member of the Marines' women's soccer team.
“They really can do anything they want to do,” she said after posing for pictures for the students' yearbook.
Principal Sharon Bresler appreciated Lt. McGrath's focus on disciplining and motivating yourself. Those are important lessons for teen-age girls, she said.
When she returns to the Marines, Lt. McGrath will tour with the soccer team and then head to a base in San Diego.
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