When I was a little kid, my teacher asked us the classic question, what do you want to be when you grow up? I shot my hand up, wanting to be the first one to say what I wanted to do because I didn’t want to look like a copycat. My teacher called on me and I said ‘I want to be a pilot when I grow up.’ All the kids were doubtful and even my teacher said I would change my dream by next year. Now I am 17 years old and a senior in high school and that dream of becoming a commercial pilot has not changed. I am still as passionate about aviation as I was when I was 5. My dream is to be a commercial pilot by flying with airlines and to travel around the world because I want to see all the different countries, cultures, and things that the world has to offer. I love learning and exploring all new things and the world is wide. I want to live an amazing life of adventure and aviation gives me that. Going hand and hand with my dream, when I am a commercial airline pilot I want to inspire little girls and women to join the aviation industry because there are only 6% of women in it. I want to show them that women can do anything the same as men and that they achieve their dreams in fields that they don’t see a lot of women in. I want to pave the way for generations of women to come into the aviation industry and feel like they belong there. Going to college will help support my dream because before Covid hit, when airlines were hiring new pilots they looked to see if you have a bachelor’s degree before they hired you and I would like to have my bachelor’s degree just in case the airlines bring back that policy. Another reason college will help support me is that I can get the proper training and be able to get the reduced rate for the hours I have to fly from 1,500 if I don’t go to a flight school/college to 1,000 if I do go to college and it will help me achieve my dream even faster. As I embark on the next chapter of my life, I am unwavering in my determination to turn a childhood dream into a reality. Through education, perseverance, and a passion for aviation, I aim not only to soar through the skies but also to inspire and empower others to reach the heights of their aspirations. The journey may be challenging, but with dedication and a love for adventure, I am confident that I will navigate the skies and make an unforgettable mark on the aviation industry.

Sports have always been a part of my life ever since I was 5 years old and joining my first-ever soccer team. I had the best time making new friends, working with one another, and learning to play soccer, a sport I will love forever in my heart. That initial experience sparked my interest in having sports be a part of my life forever. My name is Mackenzie Hatten, but I go by Mack. I am a Senior at Decatur High School in Federal Way, Washington, I am the 2023-2024 Associated Student Body President of my school. I participate in two sports: Volleyball in the Fall and Bowling in the Winter. For Volleyball, I was on JV for 2 years and Varsity for 2 years and was made Co-Captain this past season. For Bowling, I have been on Varsity since my freshman year and captain since my sophomore year. I have taken 10 rigorous AP courses over my 4 years in high school and have maintained a 4.0 GPA the whole time. I am also a member of National Honor Society & DECA. I am involved in a Junior Bowling league on my weekends. In my spare time, I am also involved in Girl Scouts, and associated with that I am a part of the Women in Aviation Squadron. Finally, I help volunteer with the community through my school. I come from a hard-working/middle-class family where my dad is a construction worker and my mom was a bartender before she was forced to retire due to her elbow tendons snapping. My parents are also in the midst of a divorce. But despite the setbacks in my life due to family, I continue to persevere and try to not let it affect me. I love being a part of the sports I play because I have learned so much and it has helped me become the leader and person I am today, all the sports I played: Soccer, Volleyball, Bowling, and Track and Field have one thing in common: They all have taught me life lessons that I will never forget. This scholarship will generously help me pursue my dreams of becoming a Commercial Airline Pilot and exploring the world and everything that it holds. The schooling is expensive everywhere and I am very determined to get my degree and get my hours at the same time so this scholarship will help fund some of my schooling. Doing that will help me reach my goals faster and enjoy all that the world has to offer. Another goal of mine is to inspire other girls/women to be a part of the male-dominated industry of Aviation because it is something so special and rewarding that only a select few women get to be involved in such a prestigious industry, so getting this scholarship will help me pursue my goal of inspiring other women to join a legacy of women up in the skies. I am not only grateful for the past experiences that have shaped me but excited for the journey ahead. With every stride in academics, every strike in bowling, and every set in volleyball, I am propelled forward. My story continues, and with the support of this scholarship, I am ready to spread my wings, both figuratively and literally, to explore the vast horizons that await.

I first started playing volleyball in 7th grade, I didn’t know anything about it at all. I just tried it out because I played it for fun before & I wanted to try something new, and I made JV. I was surprised because I didn’t think I would make it, but I did and had the most amazing time that year learning new skills and playing with my team because we all connected. We went 9-1 that year and we tied for a co-JV championship. Flash forward to now, I am a senior in high school and just finished my last season of volleyball, over the past 7 years it has been amazing to play this sport and gain invaluable experiences. Volleyball has taught me a lot of things over the years, especially how to work as a team, how to have a good work ethic, and how to be a leader on and off the court. The main one that has been drilled into me is how to have a positive attitude even in the face of adversity. My high school team faced continuous losses and struggles, it was very easy to succumb to negativity, especially me. Our coaches kept saying “Keep your spirits up because it’s going to be okay”. As time went on I took those words to heart as we kept losing. As others would get down on themselves I would hype them and the whole team up to keep the team morale going. As I took on that role I learned this lesson was not only for volleyball but for life, whenever anything has got you down just keep your head up and know everything is going to be alright in the end. Throughout my volleyball journey, I confronted numerous obstacles, ranging from toxic team dynamics to self-doubt due to being benched. These obstacles plagued every single season in high school. My hardest season with the most barriers was my junior year. I made varsity for the first time but our coach benched me for ¾ of the season even though she told me that I was one of the best players on the team, being benched shattered my confidence. Our team was very toxic due to not having the best coaching and drama between the players. There were lots of tears after every single game and that made me not want to play anymore. But I overcame it by talking about my feelings to my mom, teammates, and athletic director, so we could create a better environment for the following year. I also practiced self-love on the tough days. I knew that the next year was going to be better so I looked towards the light at the end of the tunnel. Looking back, I see these obstacles as valuable experiences that strengthened my resilience and determination. By taking what I have learned over the past 7 years in volleyball, I am set up for success in my future career as a pilot. Volleyball is a sport where individuals with diverse skill sets come together as a team to achieve a common goal. Similarly, this can be applied to being a pilot. Captains and Co-Captains have their expertise in flying, they both come together to ensure a safe environment for everyone on board. Like in volleyball, a disconnected team can lead to mistakes, and a lack of coordination in the cockpit can result in awful outcomes. Understanding the teamwork and communication skills I learned from the court will help me feel confident in my ability to be a successful pilot.

Ever since I was 5 years old I knew I wanted to be a pilot, I wanted to be up in the air flying everywhere because that’s what brought me so much joy. I wanted to explore new places even as a 5-year-old and that interest/joy has not wavered a single inch. I took my first airplane flight at 6 months old to go visit my grandparents, I don’t remember that at all but I remember all the countless times that I have been on an airplane since then and how I was always excited to get up in the clouds to look out the windows for hours to see everything below. I am interested in aviation because I want to travel the world and see all the different countries, cultures, and things that the world has to offer. I love learning and exploring all new things and the world is wide. I want to live an amazing life of adventure and aviation gives me that. After I get my degree I plan to get a job somewhere most likely where I graduated college to become a Commercial Flight Instructor for a while to gain my hours and help others continue their flight journey. Then after I get all my hours I will apply for airlines like Delta, United, British Airways, etc because they have both domestic and international routes that I like and will allow me to achieve my dream of traveling and seeing the great big world of ours. I am involved in my community by being Associated Student Body president and the face of my High School this year, being co-captain on Varsity Volleyball, being Bowling Captain for the past 3 years, being part of National Honor Society and DECA, being a part of Girl Scouts, participating in a Bowling League, volunteering at many different events around my city, being apart of a Women in Aviation club, etc. Aviation is an amazing field to be a part of especially for me because I am a part of the 6% of women in this field, and it makes me feel very grateful to do something that not many women accomplish and to continue to pave the way for generations behind me to want to have the same passion as I do for aviation. One day I want to inspire little girls everywhere that they can do anything and they can achieve their dreams in fields where they don’t see other women. I am so grateful for the opportunity that aviation has already given me and I can not wait to see where it takes me in the future.