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| Encouraging more women and girls to have an interest in aviation... |
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Jaime:
I believe that each of us has at least one moment in life that we consider life-changing. Really,
these moments often just make us take a good look at ourselves and re-evaluate our morals
and how we are living. I had my moment at age thirteen. Without it, I very well may not be
writing this essay.
Eleven years ago, when I was thirteen, my father took a job in Bangkok. We lived there for
one year. This being my first time abroad, I learned the meaning of culture shock, and not
weeks after returning to the United States, I yearned to keep traveling. Seeing the poverty -
tin shanties directly behind our relatively luxurious house, and seeing the beauty in such a
tremendously different way of life, hooked me. I wanted to see the world, and I also wanted
try to make a difference. Thus, I earned my B.A. in Chinese and Spanish in May 2006, and
decided to enter the workforce as a flight attendant shortly thereafter. I started with a
regional carrier and have since moved on to a major carrier. However, throughout my tenure
as a flight attendant, I have become increasingly interested in aviation. After many visits to the
cockpit and many, many questions about all aspects of a pilot's job, technical and
non-technical, I had my second life-defining moment: on a layover in San Francisco earlier this
year, I realized that the cockpit is where I belong, and I will do whatever it takes to get there.
After completing flight training, I aspire to continue working in the airline industry. Because of
my language background, I intend to work my way back up to a major carrier so that I can fly
internationally and continue to use my language skills on the job. I plan to become more active
in Airline Ambassadors and to organize trips to countries in need of aid. Additionally, I would
like to learn aerobatics. I would be a great role model to girls and young women aspiring to
enter the field of aviation for two reasons: 1) I intend to work my way through school on a
flight attendant salary; and, more importantly, 2) I will motivate them to combine a passion for
flying with making a difference while away on trips.
Crewmembers are, in a sense, diplomats. When we travel, whether it be for business or
pleasure, and whether it be to a domestic or an international layover, we inevitably bring with
us a bit of our culture. This impacts every person with whom we interact, and similarly, we are
impacted by those around us. This is a wonderful opportunity to bridge cultural gaps and to
learn more about the world around us. It is a method of learning that can never be duplicated
in a classroom or in a textbook. We will carry these impressions home. On perhaps a
somewhat lesser scale, we will inevitably impact our families and friends with our firsthand
experiences, which will still carry more weight than a textbook or documentary. Perhaps we
can help to break stereotypes and prejudices both in our communities and while away.
A pilot's lifestyle also offers the opportunity to do volunteer work domestically and abroad, on
layovers and during free time. Airline Ambassadors have assisted in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina and the hurricane that devastated Phuket Island. I have done volunteer work abroad,
though not with Airline Ambassadors (though I am a member). Two summers ago, I spent one
month teaching English to students attending Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an, China. This
was a very rewarding experience in more way than one, for I not only had the opportunity to
share my native language, but I also was able to share my culture. I became friends with
several of the students, and we got together outside of class on more than one occasion. This
allowed us to learn about each other's cultures, and it allowed me to learn more of their
language. More recently, I have been volunteering locally, which can be equally important.
From January through August of this year I volunteered at my local library, and since moving to
another part of the state, I began volunteering with Intercambio de Comunidades, a program
that offers free ESL lessons to immigrants.
My experience in Thailand certainly did not change who I was, but helped me realize who I am,
and to act accordingly. It opened my eyes to an entirely different way of life, something a
textbook could never have told me. It led me to what I am convinced is my life's calling, so that
I may combine a passion for flying with a passion for learning about cultures and volunteering
abroad. I want to encourage girls and young women to do this when they fly: open your eyes,
and your mind. Take a bit of your culture with you, and when you leave, take some of the local
culture with you. Be diplomats, and bridge cultural gaps, whether or not you do volunteer work
while away, for this opportunity truly makes the aviation profession unique.
I believe that each of us has at least one moment in life that we consider life-changing. Really,
these moments often just make us take a good look at ourselves and re-evaluate our morals
and how we are living. I had my moment at age thirteen. Without it, I very well may not be
writing this essay.
Eleven years ago, when I was thirteen, my father took a job in Bangkok. We lived there for
one year. This being my first time abroad, I learned the meaning of culture shock, and not
weeks after returning to the United States, I yearned to keep traveling. Seeing the poverty -
tin shanties directly behind our relatively luxurious house, and seeing the beauty in such a
tremendously different way of life, hooked me. I wanted to see the world, and I also wanted
try to make a difference. Thus, I earned my B.A. in Chinese and Spanish in May 2006, and
decided to enter the workforce as a flight attendant shortly thereafter. I started with a
regional carrier and have since moved on to a major carrier. However, throughout my tenure
as a flight attendant, I have become increasingly interested in aviation. After many visits to the
cockpit and many, many questions about all aspects of a pilot's job, technical and
non-technical, I had my second life-defining moment: on a layover in San Francisco earlier this
year, I realized that the cockpit is where I belong, and I will do whatever it takes to get there.
After completing flight training, I aspire to continue working in the airline industry. Because of
my language background, I intend to work my way back up to a major carrier so that I can fly
internationally and continue to use my language skills on the job. I plan to become more active
in Airline Ambassadors and to organize trips to countries in need of aid. Additionally, I would
like to learn aerobatics. I would be a great role model to girls and young women aspiring to
enter the field of aviation for two reasons: 1) I intend to work my way through school on a
flight attendant salary; and, more importantly, 2) I will motivate them to combine a passion for
flying with making a difference while away on trips.
Crewmembers are, in a sense, diplomats. When we travel, whether it be for business or
pleasure, and whether it be to a domestic or an international layover, we inevitably bring with
us a bit of our culture. This impacts every person with whom we interact, and similarly, we are
impacted by those around us. This is a wonderful opportunity to bridge cultural gaps and to
learn more about the world around us. It is a method of learning that can never be duplicated
in a classroom or in a textbook. We will carry these impressions home. On perhaps a
somewhat lesser scale, we will inevitably impact our families and friends with our firsthand
experiences, which will still carry more weight than a textbook or documentary. Perhaps we
can help to break stereotypes and prejudices both in our communities and while away.
A pilot's lifestyle also offers the opportunity to do volunteer work domestically and abroad, on
layovers and during free time. Airline Ambassadors have assisted in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina and the hurricane that devastated Phuket Island. I have done volunteer work abroad,
though not with Airline Ambassadors (though I am a member). Two summers ago, I spent one
month teaching English to students attending Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an, China. This
was a very rewarding experience in more way than one, for I not only had the opportunity to
share my native language, but I also was able to share my culture. I became friends with
several of the students, and we got together outside of class on more than one occasion. This
allowed us to learn about each other's cultures, and it allowed me to learn more of their
language. More recently, I have been volunteering locally, which can be equally important.
From January through August of this year I volunteered at my local library, and since moving to
another part of the state, I began volunteering with Intercambio de Comunidades, a program
that offers free ESL lessons to immigrants.
My experience in Thailand certainly did not change who I was, but helped me realize who I am,
and to act accordingly. It opened my eyes to an entirely different way of life, something a
textbook could never have told me. It led me to what I am convinced is my life's calling, so that
I may combine a passion for flying with a passion for learning about cultures and volunteering
abroad. I want to encourage girls and young women to do this when they fly: open your eyes,
and your mind. Take a bit of your culture with you, and when you leave, take some of the local
culture with you. Be diplomats, and bridge cultural gaps, whether or not you do volunteer work
while away, for this opportunity truly makes the aviation profession unique.
