DOVER — Cmdr. Victor J. Glover Jr., one of 17 African American astronauts in the history of NASA missions, was the keynote speaker for Delaware State University’s cadet flight-training ceremony last week.

Cmdr. Glover returned in May from a 168-day mission aboard the International Space Station. In addition to being a flight engineer on ISS, he was also the pilot of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft that took him and his fellow astronauts there and brought them back to Earth.

He spoke to 21 graduating ROTC and Junior ROTC cadets and their families to mark their completion of flight training conducted by DSU’s Aviation Program.

Officials believe it was the first time a NASA astronaut paid a visit to the First State’s only historically Black institution of higher education.

A native of Pomona, California, Cmdr. Glover shared his career progress, which included serving as a naval aviator, combat duty as an F-18 fighter pilot in Operation Iraqi Freedom and a congressional fellow in the office of the late Sen. John McCain.

Cmdr. Glover gave the cadets several keys to becoming successful military pilots. First, he told them that they should strive to be resilient.

“That means don’t stop in the face of challenges. Be comfortable with challenges,” he said. “Sometimes, you have to get beyond the actual most challenging obstacle that there is, and that is yourself. If you say you can’t do it, then there is no hope.”

He also advised the cadets to be lifelong learners, to be good teammates and to make good, healthy, rational choices in life.

“In every situation, stop and think, ‘What would my mother think about this?’” Cmdr. Glover said.

The training program is a unique opportunity for ROTC cadets in high school and college. The eight-year initiative culminates with the cadets earning their private pilot’s license.

Among this year’s 21 cadets were two Junior ROTC cadets from Delaware — Hayden Pelton of Smyrna High School and Harleigh-Lynn Rust of Caesar Rodney High School. Both earned their private pilot’s licenses before beginning their senior year of high school in a few weeks.

Hayden said that he would cherish his time in the summer program.

"(The program’s) diversity here has allowed me to be more culturally aware of everyone. I have made great connections, met great people and have done great things here,” he said. “The leadership skills I have attained here (have) been greater than anything else ... I have ever done in life.”

Harleigh-Lynn echoed those sentiments.

“It’s been great. Coming out of this with my private pilot’s license and the flight hours has been pretty cool,” she said.