COLUMBIA, S.C. — Maya Benson has never let anything hold her back from her goals, not even a debilitating disease.
“I’ve always loved space so I’m like, 'Yes, rockets are the way to go. That is the way of life!'" says Benson, a Westwood High School graduate, who is now shooting for the stars at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
“I’m in the aerospace engineering degree program, but I also really like mechanical engineering and the robotics track," Benson told Street Squad. "So, depending on what internships I get and how school progresses, I might change and try to do a double major.”
The only thing potentially standing in Maya’s way is her battle with sickle cell disease, a group of disorders that cause her red blood cells to become misshapen and break down.
“Like the majority of kids, I wanted to be an astronaut when I grow up. But I can’t because I have sickle cell, so I was like, 'OK, let me help other people get there since I can’t go.'”
And while living with sickle cell can sometimes put her in the hospital for lengths of time and cause her to miss school, she continues to persevere. “I’ve already made it this far. I can’t give up yet," she says. "I don’t have the option to give up. I mean I do, but I’m not giving it to myself. I know there are people out there who are in worse condition than I am, and they’re still pushing through. So, if they can do it, I can do it.”
