A pioneer is a person who is among the first to enter or settle a region, thus opening it for occupation and development by others. However, the term can also refer to someone who sees potential and is willing to try new things, pushing boundaries to advance a cause or idea or break a record. In addition, a pioneer can be a member of a military engineer unit trained to construct or demolish bridges, roads, trenches, etc. . Here are some examples of criteria that pioneers may exhibit:
- Boldness/Courage: Jimmy Doolittle dared to fly blind with only instruments.
- Vision: Charles and Anne Lindbergh envisioned new routes for commercial aviation.
- Dedication/Persistence: Despite systematic discrimination, Cornelius Coffey learned to fly, taught other African Americans to fly, and promoted African American pilots.
- Creativity: Robert Goddard experimented with the world’s first liquid-fueled rockets.
- Passion: The Douglas World Cruiser pilots flew around the world to show that America could.
Pioneers can also be plants or animals capable of establishing themselves in a bare, barren, or open area and initiating an ecological cycle.
