Update Aviation

I fell in love with aviation at 14 while watching Catch Me If You Can with my mom. During the scene when Leo DiCaprio was scared of being in the cockpit I said, “I wish I could do that,” and instead of laughing it off, she booked me a discovery flight. That single moment changed my life.
Today I’m a Commercial CFII building my hours and working toward my next big goal, heading to Republic Airways as soon as I can! One of my proudest moments so far has been becoming a Safety Lead at my school. Teaching students to fly is already incredible, but being able to improve our entire safety culture is a fantastic thing to be a part of. From better parking procedures to simplifying emergency training for crew students, has been the most meaningful impact I’ve made.

Like a lot of pilots, I struggled with self-doubt during training. What helped me push through was realizing that when real situations came up as an instructor, I knew how to handle them because of my training. Confidence didn’t come first, my experience did.
My dream professionally is the airlines, but personally I want to fly as many aircraft types as I possibly can. My advice to future Lady Aviators: don’t wait until you feel ready, start anyway. Aviation grows you into the pilot you’re meant to be.
Fun facts: I flew a plane before I ever drove a car, and my husband and I met at a small aviation college even though we grew up only 10 minutes apart!✈️