Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Adriana Barragan grew her passion for life, beauty, science and freedom. During her childhood and teens, she was exposed to disciplined arts and sports that would let her develop her spirit and realize the power of the mind. Raised near the International Airport of Guadalajara, airplanes made her wonder. She had a revelation while learning basic aerodynamics on the internet. She was filled with pure passion and excitement. This was the most amazing applied physics she had ever read and represented the greatness of invention. Her learning and joy for flight only grew from that day.

At age 15, Adriana confirmed her vocation for aviation while feeling reflected in the book “Running from Safety: an Adventure of the Spirit” by Richard Bach. Soon she realized that Flight Testing combined everything she loved. After making her vocation public, her family could only show concern. Regardless, she took the steps to become proficient in English and applied to MIT, ERAU, and WSU. After receiving letters of admission, she camped on her roof during a clear night, debating her fears and the sacrifices to be made. There she made her affirmation. This journey promised her everything – it was her fountain of youth – and so her family understood. Six months before coming to the US, her family supported her to get a private pilot’s license. She graduated with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University in December of 2014. She worked at the Computational Mechanics Laboratory of the National Institute for Aviation Research for 3.5 years. She is now an Experimental Flight Test Engineer at Gulfstream Aerospace, holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating, and is currently working towards becoming a Flight Instructor.  “Dare to dream, believe in yourself and work in your envelope expansion.”