My passion for aviation stemmed from my grandpa who flew 747s for Northwest Airlines before retiring in the late 90s. I wasn't born until 2002 but my grandpa never lost his love for aviation after retiring. And in the final year of his life, I was able to take my grandpa for one last flight as my very first passenger. He was my biggest inspiration and supporter. He could talk for hours about his flying stories, and I could listen to them for hours. He was so incredibly special to me. When I lived with my grandparents for 2 years, I would come home from a flight lesson and he was the first to ask me how it went. He would ask how my landings looked and how I handled my maneuvers. Towards the last couple of years of his life, his memory started to fade. He was able to remember less about stories from the past. And eventually, he stopped asking how my flight went. But even when he stopped asking, I made it a goal to still tell him how it went. Even though his memory was fading, the stories he remembered the most were those of his time flying. Eventually, it was the same story every day but even then I could listen to him talk about planes forever. His stories were never-ending. He told stories of his flights from New York to Tokyo, and the tricky arrival procedure at Hong Kong Airport. He shared stories of his moments encountering natural wonders like water spouts, lightning strikes, and the aurora borealis. He had many from his time in the Air Force from flying with 3-star generals, stepping foot in Air Force One, and meeting Dwight D. Eisenhower. My grandpa was a sweet soul with a joy for aviation. His love for it overflowed and enchanted me with a love of flight. After he passed away in February of 2024, I was reminded of his endearing love for me and my desire to be a pilot. He may have left this earth but I will forever carry on his legacy as a pilot. My grandpa is the reason I am so passionate about aviation. If I were to say it was anything or anyone I would be lying. Because of my grandpa, I am the pilot I am today and without him, I would be nothing. My forever co-pilot, thank you.

A sky high goal I would love to see come to fruition is to become an Airbus A380 Captain flying all around the world. My grandpa once flew the Queen of the Skies all round the world. I would now love to take the King of the Skies around the world. In one cross country trip to Key West, we were cruising at 7,000 feet and saw a British Airways A380 departing out of Miami. It was majestic such an incredible aircraft. Seeing that gave me visions as if I was in cockpit of that mammoth instead of my puny Cessna. I thought of how one day I will be flying to London Heathrow Airport and I loved every second of that quick dream I had. Since then I have had to put my aviation dreams on pause because of the insurmountable weight of the financial constraints put on me. I made it through the expensive part but just before I could get my CFI rating I became victim of what I lot of aspiring pilots face. I had to take a break and work. But that doesn't stop my dreams from becoming a reality. In the coming months I am resuming my training to finish my CFI rating and start working for a school. In the upcoming fall and spring semesters I hope to finally finish my degree. I have three years of college finished and so close to finally finishing what I started in 2019. Soon I will be free of school and be able to fully focus on my passion in aviation. I am on the verge of completing a large number of goals I have had for years. When it comes to achieving these goals there has been one thing on my mind. Inaction has consequences. Normally, we might say actions have consequences, but more importantly I believe the inaction has greater consequences. When I think of this phrase I see the opportunity to take everything into my own hands. The completion of my goals depend on me getting off the couch, out of bed, and working hard towards my dreams. I was stuck knowing that I wanted to be a pilot but not having the drive to start. Only after months of me going to war with my mind, did I finally drop everything holding me back and get started. I have since looked back on that decision. I saw the opportunity as a young 20 year old kid that could start his career now instead of letting everyone else surpass him while he sat playing video games. Now I have taken it into my hands and gotten work done to become a commercial pilot on his way to getting his CFI rating. The consequences of my inaction could have lead to years of displeasure and pain. Instead I am ahead of my peers pursuing aviation a way to achieve my dreams of flying the King of the Skies and encountering the world.

In February my grandfather passed away. He was my inspiration to be a pilot. He was a pilot in the Air Force for many years and later flew for Northwest Airlines. For 2 years I lived with him and trained to become a pilot. Every time I came home from a lesson he was so excited to hear about it. I am sure he wanted to relive his moments as a pilot while talking to his grandson. I loved every bit of it as well. I could talk about aviation for hours. My grandpa had endless hours to listen to me talk about aviation. Years before I was ever interested in becoming a pilot I was able to share a conversation with my grandpa about how a plane achieves lift. He explained it in such a particular way that made me fascinated with flight. Just as Joseph instilled his passion in other young kids in aviation my grandpa loved sharing his passion for aviation. He traveled to remote parts of South America and Africa delivering equipment to families. In the meantime, he was able to share his love for aviation with the kids in the town. On the other hand, he gave me a strong desire to be a pilot. Little did I know but the little conversations with my grandpa set me up to pursue an aviation career further down the line. He told me stories of his time flying Air Force generals around the world, stepping foot in Air Force One, and watching the aurora borealis from the flight deck of the 747 en route to Japan. His favorite story was about the complicated arrival procedure at Hong Kong Airport. He told me that same story at least once a week. I would listen to it again if I had the chance. The first passenger I ever had was my precious grandpa. There was no question about who I would take to the skies first once I got my license. The day we went flying I had a smile that no one could take from me. My grandpa was the only person in the world with a bigger smile than me that day. Now that my grandpa is no longer with me, I am reminded of his captivating stories. I strive to continue the passion my grandpa gave me to be able to make my own stories. With those stories, I will be able to inspire my children and grandchildren with what my grandpa gave me. I am forever grateful for my grandpa who will be with me throughout my career as a pilot. He is my co-pilot for life.

I had an incredible grandfather who just recently passed away. He touched my life in so many endearing ways. He gave me the desire to become a better person. He inspired me to be a pilot. He challenged my thoughts. Through his passing in February of 2024, I was reminded of his selfless desire to encourage everyone around him. He demonstrated a selfless love that touched everyone's heart. He also was challenging. He grew up in a very respectful house and he expected the same for my brothers and me. He lovingly corrected my manners. I could only think of him when I was at the dinner table. Not only did he correct my manners, but he also challenged me to pursue my dreams as a pilot as he once was. I was confused when asked what I wanted my career to be but my grandpa led me to a career I found to love as he once loved. He was a pilot in the Air Force for many years. He also flew Boeing 747s. He was my inspiration to pursue my passion as a pilot. And now that he instilled his passion in me, I have been given the responsibility to instill others with the best version of themselves. Knowing I had the desire to be a pilot is special but the thing I have learned most from my grandpa is the need for others to find their passions. Now, my passion is to be the driving force behind people's desire to be better. I find no greater feeling than putting in effort and receiving results based on those efforts. I value myself when I see others taking my advice and seeing results. One of the greatest joys in my life is when I have taught someone a skill and I see them demonstrating it. Many years ago, I remember a time when I had the opportunity to correct my brother's grammar. He took the correction well and in our next conversation, he was able to use the correct form. This is only one example but I was so ecstatic for him. Now, I found him correcting parts of my grammar. All this to say, there is so much happiness when I see other humans succeed. Throughout the world, humans are met with unforeseen circumstances that are sometimes insurmountable. When we can pick each other up and help others succeed, we will see this planet thrive. Alone we may not go far, but together anything is possible.

Each day I wake up I take care of my personal appearance. Today, for example, I brushed my teeth, styled my hair, and picked an outfit that I felt confident wearing. I will also take care of my hygiene. Some examples include showering, applying deodorant, and shaving. With that, I prepare a healthy meal to eat for each meal of the day. I could have eggs or granola, a sandwich, or a salad to name a few. I try to follow a workout plan to get exercise and remain physically active. Through these practices, I get a feeling of self-worth and confidence. I feel like I have a better outlook on my life and the direction it is going. It also gives me a good plan to follow to always be improving myself. One major important improvement it provides is towards my mental health. I have been extremely fortunate to have a very healthy mental confidence. With this, I try to utilize it to improve those around me who haven't been as fortunate as myself. I think I have maintained a mental strength to myself because of the daily practices I implement. I will continue to practice them for that reason.

I am currently a student pilot flying out of KANE. I am working towards getting my Private Pilots License. As I am writing this I have 26 hours of total flight training. I try to fly 3-5 times a week to stay refreshed and proficient. I love being in the air! I choose to pursue aviation as my career in 2019. I was on a commercial flight with my Grandpa, a former pilot for Northwest, when I asked him how an airplane generates lift. He went on to explain the physics behind it and I was fascinated. After that conversation, I knew I wanted to become a pilot. In June of 2021, I took a discovery flight. With that discovery flight, I was enticed and started my flight training. I have big dreams of becoming a pilot for a commercial airline. I have heard stories of my grandpa flying into unique airports and countries that are vastly different than America. I have loved to travel and experience new cultures. Although my Grandpa would convince me to become a pilot, he didn't have to do that much convincing for me to that I wanted to be a pilot. I hope to become a highly experienced pilot who is able to manage and safely operate aircraft. I want to ensure that the passengers onboard my aircraft feel safe and secure. I desire to travel throughout the world, experiencing every kind of culture the earth has to offer. I want to inspire other young aspiring pilots to pursue the same dream I had and not give up. I want to give everyone an equal opportunity to their dreams in the skies, whether that be through mentorship, scholarships, or giving students the resources they need to succeed. Over the last year, aviation has revealed the unseen wonders of the world and I have been able to capture that with my eyes. It is truly a dream come true and I am only getting started. I am amazed at the dreams of the people who yearned to be able to fly like the birds of the sky. I have traveled to Yosemite valley and have seen the wonders of half dome. I have traveled to Sequoia National Park and gazed upon the towering trees. But nothing compares to have the yoke in your hand and feel the weightlessness of the initial takeoff. The feeling of flying through the air has gotten me more excited about my life and my dream than anything else in this world. It is an indescribable feeling. Every time I take to the skies I get an overwhelming feeling of joy. Aviation is important to me as it has unlocked new potentials. It has made me happier than I have ever been before. Aviation is what I strive for daily.

To me, generosity is the act of giving out of the abundance of your heart. Generously giving is not always about giving money. I have known a number of people in my life who have little money but very generous hearts. One of my good buddies didn't have much money growing up. My friends and I would go out to eat. You would think the buddy of mine would stay home. But, out of the generosity and care for us in his heart, he tagged along with us. In another case of generosity, we have the use of money. People can be generous with their money whether they are wealthy or poor. The difference is that wealthy generosity is from the abundance of their wealth. Whereas, poor generosity is from the desire to give to someone who is in a worse condition than they are in. I think it is clear to see which one of these has an overall greater degree of generosity to them. It is the poor person's generosity. As I am in this world, I believe it is a great deal of importance to be generous to all. I think we should all take some time to reflect and consider how we might be able to share our generosity with others. Whether that be with our time, thoughts, gifts, or money.