My STEP Signature Project was called “Gaining My Wings”. This project was all about me gaining more knowledge and confidence in the career I plan to pursue, aviation. I was able to gain my Private Pilot’s License buy using the STEP money and I love how much I learned throughout this experience.
My understanding of myself was transformed during my STEP project. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a pilot. This summer I got the chance to finally act on my dream and I learnt that I loved this industry more than I thought. The feeling of being in charge and being a pilot of a very power aircraft made me feel so much more dependent than I have ever felt. I learned so much from my instructor and from the resources I was able to purchase with my STEP budget and I feel like I have grown as a student throughout this process. I usually have a hard time staying focused in my studies. However, throughout my flight lessons I never once was bored and was constantly intrigued by what I was learning. I also learned independence and leadership throughout this process. I can now guide other female pilots like myself and not allow them to be worried about this career. I say I was transformed because I have grown as a person, a student, and a pilot.
Another transformation that occurred through my STEP project was my assumptions about being a pilot and my view on the industry of aviation. I assumed that being a pilot was easy and that if I could fly the plane, I would be a pilot. However, there was so much I did not realize a pilot needed to know. My respect for other pilots has grown and those women and men that made flight even possible. As a strong feminist, it is difficult to enter aviation since it is dominantly a male career field. But I have been inspired by so many female pilots who are leaders in this career field that I have meet throughout this process that I no longer have any worries about that issue. Those women are role models and leaders and now that is something that I am working towards. My views have also changed on the world. Being a pilot is going to give me the ability to see the world from a new perspective and it is crazy to imagine the possibilities I have to experience.
The first aspect that led to my transformation as a person and a student came from my instructor. He was so knowledgeable and so excited about every flight lesson that it would make me excited to even be there. It was easy to learn and love what I was learning by having someone with so much excitement about the topic teaching it to me. Even on my worst days, he still found a way to encourage me to keep pushing towards my end goal and for that I learned perseverance and constant dedication. He was a leader to me and showed me how to be a leader for those that I instruct when I move on to my next phase as an instructor. I grew as a student and found values that I want to remain constant in my career as a pilot.
Another aspect that changed my views on the world was by the amazing pilots I met. Listening to their experiences and the sights that they saw encouraged me to keep pushing myself as a pilot. The world from above is a completely different experience. They are leaders in this industry and it is something that I hope to do when I get more experience in the field. I can’t wait to do that as either a fighter pilot for the United States Air Force defending my country or from a commercial plane flying to my next destination.
The last aspect that changed me was meeting other female pilots. Aviation seems like a daunting career field to enter with it being a predominantly male field. However, so many rising female pilots changed my mind. They talked to me about their challenges and conflicts but in the end, they came out on top. I am constantly trying to find role models and mentors and by completing this STEP project, I met more than I could have imagined. Now it is my turn to be a leader and a mentor as a pilot. My first step to doing this is by using the knowledge I gained and spreading it to other females, like in my org Women in Aviation where I am Vice President. It has helped me grow as a female pilot, as a person, as a student, and a leader.
These changes and transformation are significant to me because it is helping me grow as a person and as a pilot. I am learning more and more each day about my life goal and that is more than I could ever ask for. I feel different and more experienced by gaining my license and meeting the people that I met throughout the process. My family and friends supported me throughout this process and I now know that I have a huge support system that is behind me. The experiences I gained throughout this project is something that I will hold with me for the rest of my life. It allowed me to grow in my life and that is something that I cannot thank enough. I feel I can use my experiences as a leader and now I can lead other girls to feel the excitement of flight like I gained this summer. I am extremely excited to continue to my path as a pilot and can’t wait to see where it takes me.