Sophomore Larissa Callahan has intrigued the student body of Bloomington South since her first appearance on the announcements last year when she signed off with, “keep climbing, and have pride in yourself and the panthers.”
Callahan has had a passion for Delta Airlines and flying since she took her first flight to Disney World two years ago. Once she found out the founder of Delta was born in Bloomington, she felt it was a sign that being a flight attendant was the right path for her.
“I flew Delta and I just fell in love with it. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to meet one of their amazing redcoats at the Indy Airport and go on a tour of their training center.”
After that tour, Callahan was invited back to the airport to work a Delta gate on one of their slower mornings.
“It was a lot of fun. I got to scan some boarding passes, which is a lot harder than it looks, and I even got to make some boarding calls on the intercom,” Callahan said.
While her affinity for flying is no secret, Callahan also stays busy with other hobbies, such as 4-H, theater and painting.
“Last year for 4-H I decided to do something really crazy and sew myself a Jane Porter costume, from ‘Tarzan.’ I spent about 40 hours on it and ended up getting a blue ribbon for it.”
Those who have heard Callahan on the announcements, or who have had the pleasure of speaking to her in person, may have noticed that she sometimes slips into a British accent. While Callahan is not from Britain, she was actually adopted from Russia when she was a child. Although she doesn’t know much about Russia, Callahan says her parents brought back Russian art and dolls for her to be able to have as she grew older. She chalks up her faux British accent to watching too many British TV shows growing up.
“Being diagnosed with Aspergers, I have certain quirks that are different for everyone on the Autism spectrum. One of mine is slipping into accents, which I guess could be because of watching too much British TV,” Callahan said.
So, what does the next 10 years for Callahan look like? Although the academic path for a flight attendant is not entirely concrete, Callahan says some advice she’s gotten is to branch out and “have as many cards on the table as possible.”
“I’m planning on going to a small college and possibly majoring in something like logistics or event planning, just in case I want to go back to the ground in the future.”
With so many unique interests and quirks, Callahan is considered one of the most interesting people at Bloomington South.
“I just try to be myself and not care what the others think. You simply have to believe in yourself and embrace who you are.”
