Ever since she can remember, Mariana Juarez wanted to fly. A commercial pilot’s license seemed a distant dream, though, when family hardships in her home in Guerrero, Mexico, drove her out of school at age 14.
Mariana Juarez earned her private pilot license in the U.S., a step in a journey to be a commercial pilot. The UNO graduate, who entered the U.S. from Mexico without authorization, lost a battle to remain in the country and said she bought an airline ticket to return to her homeland.
Our top Omaha staff photos & videos of August 2026
Red Bull acrobatic pilot Kevin Coleman performs during the Defenders of Freedom Air and Space Show at Offutt Air Force Base on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026.
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during the Juneteenth parade in Omaha on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026.
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Brett Lindstrom, non-partisan candidate for Nebraska governor, carries boxes of signatures for his nonpartisan governor bid into the Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.
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Jeremiah Morris, 13, goes up for a shot against Omaha Police Capt. Paul Hanson during a National Night Out event at the Christie Heights Community Center in Omaha on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026.
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Conor Oberst of Bright Eye performs during Maha Festival at Heartland of America Park Omaha on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026.
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Frankie Harris celebrates with his caddie, Tyler Lipscomb, after defeating Alistair Docherty in a playoff to win the Pinnacle Bank Championship at Indian Creek Golf Club in Omaha on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026.
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Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, Creighton University President, center right, celebrates during a ribbon cutting ceremony for Creighton University's Magis Hall in Omaha on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. Magis Hall is Creighton University's newest residence hall that will house 409 sophomore students.
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Nebraska's Andi Jackson and Harper Murray speak with reporters during a press conference at the Hawks Championship Center in Lincoln on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026.
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N-yajah Jackson, 13, and the Royal House of Diamond dancers perform during the Juneteenth parade in Omaha on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026.
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Shelley Larsen, Assistant Managing Editor, is announced as the 2025 Dorr Award winner at the OWH Newsroom in Omaha on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026.
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Brinker Harding, Republican nominee in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional district discusses a variety of topics during an interview at his home in Omaha on July 17, 2026.
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A look inside Pinnacle Bank Arena during the Red-White Scrimmage in Lincoln on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026.
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A life jacket loaner station is seen at Wehrspann Lake in the Chalco Hills Recreation Area in Papillion on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. The station is dedicated to Wyatt "Stooky" Bernal, who died in July after drowning in the lake.
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Omaha Police officer Ryan Keele with his K-9 partner, Kano, at the Gary and Mary West Regional Canine Training Facility in Omaha on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026.
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Nebraska assistant coach Marcus Satterfield during a football practice at the Hawks Championship Center in Lincoln on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026.
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Coleen Sullivan, 11, reacts during her sixth grade class at Buffett Middle School in Omaha on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026.
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Former Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert unveils Jean Stothert Street during a ceremony in Omaha on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026.
Mariana Juarez earned her private pilot license in the U.S., a step in a journey to be a commercial pilot. The UNO graduate, who entered the U.S. from Mexico without authorization, lost a battle to remain in the country and said she bought an airline ticket to return to her homeland.
