Lemondrop

When we were 15, we thought passing geometry was a major accomplishment. But that's nothing compared to Kimberly Anyadike, who at 15 became the youngest African-American female pilot to ever fly across the United States.

Why We Love Her: It took only 13 days for Anyadike to soar from Compton, Calif., where she lives, to Newport News, Va., in a single-engine Cessna. She learned to fly at age 12 through Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum, which gives aviation lessons to under-served youths.

The petite high-schooler herself dreamed up the journey, on which she was accompanied by World War II Tuskegee Airman and safety pilot Levi Thornhill, 87. The duo flew one of Tomorrow's planes on the trip. Anyadike met more than 50 Tuskegee Airmen -- African-American pilots who served during World War II -- during her jaunt.

Quote: Anyadike says the Tuskegee Airmen were a huge inspiration for her achievement.

"They left such a great legacy. I had big shoes to fill. All they wanted to do was to be patriots for this country. They were told no, that they were stupid, that they didn't have the cognitive development to fly planes. They didn't listen. They just did what they wanted to do."

Watch a clip of Anyadike after she finished her flight here.