Some people find their career goals. Mine found me. I was in the passenger seat of my dad's car, somewhere on the highway near San Jose, when a shadow swept across the windshield. I looked up and saw a Southwest 737 descending on short final. That moment stuck with me -- not because it was loud, low or dramatic, but because no one else seemed to care. My family kept talking. My sibling looked down at their phone playing candy crush. I was the only one smashing my face against the window just to keep watching it disappear behind some sound wall. This is how I knew, whatever this was, it was more for me. By the second year of high school, I committed to Middle College, a program where fifty students finish the rest of their high school at a community college campus while taking extra classes to earn college transfer credits. Sure, I applied because I only had to go my high school classes twice a week compared to five, but I applied because I needed space to move in the direction I was heading in hopes to make my dream come true: Flight School. I chose my dream of becoming captain for a major Part 121 airline over staying in high school with my friends and stalling the process of starting flight school. Two times a week, I would work on my Private Pilot maneuvers with my CFI, and study ground portions of the ACS for 1.5 hours in the debrief (I still remember struggling to differentiate Class G vs Class E). Despite all the weather delays, ground struggle, and struggle in perfecting flight maneuvers, flying gave me structure. I started caring more about the details such as how I communicate, how I manage workload, and how I make decisions under pressure. I picked classes that were transferrable to the college I committed so that I can graduate earlier: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. My long-term goal is to fly for a Part 121 airline and eventually earn my captain's bars in the international routes. That role to me, not only showcases the hard work put in to reach that position, but also being the person that everyone counts on when no one else can afford to second-guess. As captain, I believe that your decisions carry weight for every checklist, every clearance, and every reroute at FL350. That level of accountability is something that is built piece by piece and represents the type of person I want to become even outside of aviation. Though I am aware of the hard work ahead, I am proud to say that I am now a licensed Private Pilot, with the work and study ethic of a seasoned airline pilot to achieve greatness. Lastly, thank you for considering me for this scholarship.

To say the least, leadership did not arrive on time. It didn't arrive when I needed it to help me lead a school project, to schedule an appointment with my high school counselor for guidance, or to speak up in classes where I felt clueless on what was being taught. For a while, I thought leadership was something other people possessed -- those who naturally stood in front, who knew what to say, who looked comfortable and proud being seen. What I didn't realize was that real leadership often begins without an audience. That understanding came slowly when I applied for my high school's Middle College program, to which I was --somewhat shockingly-- accepted and committed for the last two years of my high school journey. For the first time, I had no one telling me when to get work done, no one following up on my grades, and most importantly, nobody cared that I was on my phone rather than memorizing the different formulas in calculus. I hate to admit it, but even when I was given the luxury opportunity to attend Middle College over a classic high school experience, I did not realize the chance the admission team had given me. I finished the semester with a C in calculus. However, one day, I heard a quote allegedly written by Leonardo da Vinci, "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward." This quote changed everything. The quote lingered on my mind not because it was from the great Leonardo or because it sounded motivational and or poetic, but because I realized I had never "truly" tasted flight, specifically, Pilot-in-command time. I had talked about aviation and planes as if I was a seasoned aviator with thousands of hours, but I had never taken a single step toward it other than volunteering at my local aviation museum. It took me a lot of courage and self leadership to accept that I've done nothing good to set myself up for the life I desire. The following week I scheduled a discovery flight at KRHV (Reid-Hillview Airport). The controls were a lot more sensitive than I assumed, and the headset was loud. I did not feel in control of the aircraft. But for the first time, I felt like I was finally moving toward something that mattered. That short one hour flight (to which I wish I logged into my logbook to this day) showed me how far I had to go, and gave me a reason to begin. Flight training was not smooth. Weather delays stretched out my lessons for weeks. I misread traffic patterns and I even sometimes skipped checklist items on accident. But I learned to log my mistakes with the same care I logged my hours into my amazon-purchased logbook. I studied the Airmen Certification Standards (ACS) more than I slept per day because not only is the final practical test based off the ACS, but I understood what it meant to take responsibility for my own safety. On June 7th, 2025, I passed my Private Pilot checkride flawlessly, on my first attempt. I had become the kind of person who follows through and leads by example. Again, leadership did not arrive when I started flight training. It arrived when I realized the pilot I wanted to become was someone I had to become myself. And once I tasted flight, I did not just walk the earth with my eyes turned skyward, I started preparing to earn my place in the sky.

My parents always told me: “Kevin, find a job that you will enjoy for a lifetime.” Little did they know, I would be the son who took interest in jobs parents never expect their own kids to pursue. Everyone knows we need firefighters and police officers, but do they ever expect you to fill that role? Almost never. They want you to secure a safe, low-risk job. Aviation, or rather aspiring to be a Part 121 airline pilot, is why I want to pursue a degree in aviation. My journey started at the beginning of high school. After searching for hours, I found an aviation museum 45 minutes away, in a completely different city, looking for teen volunteers. I always knew there had to be a way to get my foot through the door, even at a young age—but how? That museum became my home for the next four years. Every weekend, I volunteered 4-8 hours, leading hands-on stations, teaching families how to use flight simulators, drones, and even simple aircraft-building activities. What started as a way to be around aviation turned into something bigger. It gave me purpose, knowledge, and connections that led to the next, real, big, step: Flight School. My parents weren’t convinced—more than anything, they didn’t want to admit that their son wanted to become a pilot. They refused to let me start, afraid to let me commit. It took another year until I finally told my dad what had to be said. “Why pilot? Why not a doctor, lawyer, businessman—even a car mechanic? It’s so much safer!” I told him, “Dad, everyone dies. There’s a higher chance of dying while driving. You drive to work, you fly for business trips—do you think the risk doesn’t apply to you just because you’re not a pilot? I’d rather do what I love than live in fear of something that hasn’t even happened.” I have now been pursuing my Private Pilot License for a little under a year. At just 49.9 hours, I am scheduled to take my checkride at KRHV in May. I knew from the start that this was for me, every lesson reinforced it, even the hard ones, but looking back, I wish I had pushed harder and started sooner. Still, I’m proud of how far I’ve come, grateful for where I am, and excited for where this journey will take me. Starting Summer 2025, I will be pursuing an Aeronautical Science degree at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus. Your donation would be a meaningful investment in my education and future career, helping me stay focused on my training and growth as I work toward becoming an airline pilot. Thank you.

I was that kid. Whenever I heard a plane overhead, I’d drop whatever I was doing, run outside, and wave, hoping the pilot would see me. It wasn’t really about the plane itself, though. It was more about the idea that, somehow, I could be part of something bigger than what I knew on the ground. I couldn’t explain it then, but it was like I was drawn to it—the sky felt like it had a place for me, even if I didn’t know how to get there yet. Between the plane and the sky, between the pilot and the dreamer. Fast forward a few years, and that kid is still here—just a little taller and finally inside the cockpit. On my first solo flight, my instructor stepped out, smiled, and said, “Alright, good luck, man, you’re gonna crush it.” I nodded and said, “Thanks,” but inside, the moment’s weight hit me like a wave. I wasn’t just in a plane anymore; I was alone, in control, and responsible for everything. The sky wasn’t some distant dream—it was my reality. I requested a downwind departure to runway 31R. My hands moved through the checklists, and my mind focused on Vy speed at 75 and V1 at 55. And then, the wheels left the ground. That’s when I saw him—my instructor, standing on the tarmac, waving. And in that moment, it clicked. I was no longer the kid waving up at the planes; I was the one flying, the one others might look up to. Up there, everything was different. I reached pattern altitude, ran through the landing checklist, listened for clearance, and landed. Then I took off again—three landings and three takeoffs. Each time, it felt like I was getting closer to something more than flying a plane. There was a more profound realization—a connection to the machine and its purpose. A great pilot doesn’t just fly for themselves. They know flying is to connect people, places, and the world. By the time I landed the third time, screaming through my mic out of utter delight, it was not about how I conquered the plane but knowing this was only the beginning of something more significant. I chose aviation because it’s not just about flying—it’s about creating moments of connection. Whether that’s with the passengers, onlookers watching from down below, or even that kid waving at the sky, I want to be that pilot who waves back. For me, flying is not a technical skill or a thrill but part of something that draws the world closer, one flight at a time.

Hi, I'm Kevin, a 16-year-old teen living in California. I'm genuinely in love with aviation, and it's always been my dream to become a pilot in the future. From collecting trading cards from pilots to filming every takeoff and landing, I can only imagine the day I became a pilot. I want to study aviation and aerospace innovation to better our society. The thought of soaring through the skies from one place to another, with hundreds of others on MY plane, makes me nervous, but in a good way. I feel happy, and flying would be therapy for me. The engineering behind the plane fascinates me in many ways: how the engines collaborate with all the other parts of the plane and how such a heavy object can soar through the air in harsh conditions. I have overcome challenges to pursue my college education in aviation and or aerospace. As a junior in high school, I decided to take a path that only a few take. Sacrificing my social life with the rest of my peers, I applied for Middle College, a program that allows you to study at a community college while being a high schooler. Given this opportunity, out of the 50 selected students, I used this to my advantage by studying aerospace and other math/science classes such as physics and Calculus. To this day, I am taking a UAS and aviation class at the community college, something I could not do at my home high school since they did not offer any and I was stuck on a strict education plan that counselors would put you on. I genuinely enjoy the lessons that I take regarding aviation at college, and I see myself in a job position in aviation in one way or another. On a side note, I have this burning desire to become a pilot, and I feel like nothing can stop me. I feel the adrenaline kicking in every time I think about my future in aerospace, and I want a chance to show myself and others that I am suited for this job style and would do an excellent job. I plan to positively impact aeronautics or aviation innovation as I continue to pursue my education. One day, when I graduate college, I want to make unique innovations that make air travel safer than ever or fly these notable aircraft. I genuinely want to make a difference in the aviation world as I grow older, encourage future pilots to keep pushing, and continue renovating aerospace innovation as the years pass.