Although I am only about to finish my freshman year at The Ohio State University, I feel that I have already done many things that have made me grow academically and socially and that I can apply to the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S. Furthermore, my future career ties in to many aspects of the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.
Global Awareness
My future career of an airline pilot literally speaks global awareness. As a professional in the aviation industry, I will be working with people from around the country and eventually from around the world. Aviation is a truly global industry, with thousands of airplanes crossing through the skies and pilots and researchers alike sharing and discussing anything from aircraft design to aviation accidents and everything in between. Furthermore, the amount of networking that I get from being in aviation is immense. As a college student, I get networking in the form of fellow students, instructors, and alumni, who will help me win scholarships and recommend me for internships and job openings. Afterwards, I gain more networking from fellow co-workers and upper management, further increasing my presence in the aviation industry. This will help me move on from a regional pilot to a mainline pilot and accomplish my ultimate goal of becoming a full-fledged airline pilot. Global awareness plays a key role in my quest to become an airline pilot, where networking and knowledge about the industry will give me an edge and make my collegiate and professional career more successful.
Service Engagement
Being an airline pilot technically means you are providing service to the public. That means pilots not only need to learn how to fly a complex airplane, but they also have to be proficient in serving the flying customers. This relates greatly to Service Engagement. Airline pilots not only have to keep the passengers safe during flight, but they also have to provide them with a fast and efficient flight and cater to their needs. I have already experienced service engagement through Flight Team and the Scholars volunteering program, which helped me strengthen my social skills towards the community. I feel that I will use my skills to provide for my passengers’ needs and also volunteer for the many aviation clubs by providing knowledge and free flights to the community. The aviation industry is a tightly-knit industry, with people in the industry lending out hands being commonplace. Likewise, I may provide service by helping out fellow pilots and co-workers, from helping them fix their airplane to giving them a ride to their workplace. Aviation is full of volunteering opportunities, and I feel that I will put in great effort in serving the aviation industry and my local communities.
These two facets speak to me the most because they relate both to my current career as a college student and to my future career as an airline pilot. Through Flight Team, I was given a glimpse into the aviation world and gained crucial airman knowledge, skill, and professionalism which will carry on into my professional career. Via Scholars, I was given the opportunity to volunteer and give my time to the local community, allowing me to sharpen my public social skills. By being exposed to global awareness and service engagement, I have gained skills and knowledge needed to help myself succeed in the aviation industry. And those facets will also likely play a major part once I’m in the industry. I will most likely interact with and provide service to the flying public on a daily basis, requiring good public relations skills and techniques learned from my college days. Maintaining global awareness by increasing my networking across the aviation industry will help me move up through the ranks of pilots and eventually help me land a spot as a mainline airline pilot. Without these two facets, I would’ve faced major hurdles that I would not be able to overcome.