CROWN POINT, INDIANA
“No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
-Maya Angelou”
My Story:
The story that most defines me starts during my freshman year, when I decided that when I grow up, I want to be a commercial airline pilot. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was making the decision to enter an industry that is run predominantly by men, given that only 9% of pilots in the U.S. are women. Statistics like this alone are enough to scare some away and cause them to give up on their goals and dreams, but I am not one to back down without a fight. Last summer, I began taking flying lessons and am currently in the process of earning my Private Pilot's License, the first of many that I'll need to make it into the airline business. Despite the vast amount of knowledge that I have learned in these past months, I often get asked the question, “Why not just be a flight attendant?” It is easy to assume that I am asked this question simply because I am a girl, and being a pilot is typically a “man’s job”. I’ve realized that mindless comments like this stop so many girls from doing what they really want to do in life, because they are too afraid of being judged to make the jump to pursue a career in something that is stereotypically a job for men. I’ve come to the realization that by reaching my own goals, I can inspire other girls around me to chase after their dreams and do the unthinkable, no matter what the statistics or stereotypes say. We are living in an age of empowering women, and I want my story to do just that.
Instagram: lyssadelreal
