My career goal is to become a commercial airline pilot. I want to travel across the world and experience new cultures. I’d like to join an organization like Fly for the Culture, where I will be able to introduce young students from my community to the world of aviation and offer them discovery flights. After gaining experience and knowledge as a Flight Captain and learning the workings of the airline industry, my entrepreneurial goal is to begin an air charter company. I’d like to market this service to my community and the middle class. When you think of an airplane charter, you immediately think of a person who is wealthy, but I’d like to change that mind set and open up a new way of travel for the middle class. Every school I’ve ever attended has had a diverse population, but I’ve always been a part of the minority population. I’ve always felt like I’ve had to conform to the ways of the majority and that my voice and experience did not carry much weight. This experience was part of what led me to decide upon attending an HBCU. I believe that it is important that I attend an HBCU because it is an opportunity for me to grow in an environment where the majority of the students have shared experiences. I feel that I will be able to be my full self and not have to conform. I know that I will be supported by my peers and that my professors will be supportive and rooting for my success. This experience will help to build my confidence and prepare my mind and spirit for my career, where I will be one of the 3.4% of African Americans pilots.

Imagine an eight-year-old boy standing in Charlotte Douglas International Airport, staring out of the large floor-to-ceiling windows, consumed with curiosity and amazed at the huge planes. That little boy was me. It began as a curiosity and slowly turned into my passion. As kids, we are told we can be whatever we want. I believe that and I am now striving to accomplish my goal of becoming a commercial airline pilot. The first goal was to earn my private pilot license. I was fortunate enough to be selected as the winner of the Chris Price Private Pilot Scholarship, a $10,000 scholarship that afforded me the opportunity to earn my private pilot license. The next goal is to graduate from high school. Because it is suggested that pilots have a college degree, I’ve decided to accomplish two tasks at once by getting a degree in Aviation. In the fall, I will attend Elizabeth City State University and major in Aviation Science. Following college graduation, I plan to participate in the United Airlines Aviate Program, which ECSU partners with for their graduates to continue their aviation training. While training, I plan to begin work as a certified flight instructor or a regional pilot to gain the 1500 flight hours required to be considered for the position of a commercial airline pilot. I want to be an inspiration for the next generation of African-American children, as representation matters. I want to be that pilot who returns to his community and takes kids on a discovery ride, just as it was done for me. That eight-year-old little boy in me is still in shock that I am making it happen and while I have a long way to go, I celebrate each win along the way.

At seven years old, my family and I took a trip to Jamaica. While waiting at the airport, I sat in the window and watched the planes take off and land. It was amazing to watch something so big and heavy can fly. It's almost as if the impossible was made possible. This began my interest in learning about airplanes and becoming a pilot. From that point on, I did all I could do to learn about airplanes. I read books and magazines. I visited museums and researched airplanes on the internet. My interest slowly turned into a hobby and ultimately into my passion. I enjoy learning about airplanes and how to fly them because it opens up the world to me. It allows my travel dreams to become a little more realistic. The thought of becoming an airline pilot is almost unimaginable for a young black male like myself. But I've been blessed to be able to earn a scholarship to cover the cost for me to earn my private pilot license. My goal is to turn my hobby of flying into a career, and because it's something that I love, my career will never feel like work.

Imagine an eight-year-old boy standing in Charlotte Douglas International Airport, staring out of the large floor-to-ceiling windows, consumed with curiosity and amazed at the huge planes. That little boy was me. It began as a curiosity and slowly turned into my passion. It was at this time that I knew I wanted to fly. As kids, we are told we can be whatever we want. I believed that and I am now striving to accomplish my ambitious goal of becoming a commercial airline pilot. My parents have been very instrumental in ensuring that I had opportunities to foster my interest in flight. My parents would take me to museums to view airplane exhibits, they bought me books about flight, we watched movies and documentaries and they even found an ACE Future Flyers Camp at the Carolinas Aviation Museum where I was able to experience the use of a flight simulator for the first time. They encourage me to follow my dream of becoming a pilot in every way. The first step is to obtain a private pilot license. To accomplish that goal, I located a Young Eagles Chapter that offered scholarships for teenagers interested in flying. As a result of connecting with this group, I was able to apply, interview and obtain a $10,000 scholarship to earn my private pilot license. My training began on Memorial Day weekend in 2021 and I am now one step from the goal of obtaining my license. Up next, is high school graduation. I am currently one class away from obtaining my high school diploma, and on May 27, 2022, I will check that goal off of my task list. While completing my last semester in high school, I’ve begun to focus on my post-high school plans. Because it is suggested that pilots have a bachelor’s degree, I’ve decided to accomplish two tasks at once by getting a 4-year degree in Aviation. This will allow me to gain training, obtain certifications and ratings all while accomplishing my goal of obtaining a bachelor's degree. There is only one university in North Carolina that offers this curriculum, Elizabeth City State University. So, I applied and on December 8th, I received my acceptance letter for the Fall 2022 semester. ECSU has a partnership with the United Airlines Aviate program to assist students in continuing their training and gaining the skills needed to become an airline pilots. I plan to continue with the Aviate program and plan to begin work as a certified flight instructor or a regional pilot to gain the 1500 flight hours required to be considered for the position of a commercial airline pilot. I want to be an inspiration for the next generation of African-American children, as representation matters. I want to be that pilot who returns to his community and takes kids on a discovery ride, just as it was done for me. To have a person that looks like you as the pilot opens your eyes to opportunities that you never knew existed. That eight-year-old little boy in me is still in shock that I am making it happen and while I have a long way to go, I celebrate each win along the way.

Being raised in a home where service to God was important, I heard many sayings that derived from bible verses. One of the wisest, that has stuck with me is, "To whom much is given, much is required." The first time I heard this, I was not sure exactly what it meant, but as I grew older the meaning became clear. Basically, the more you are blessed with, the more service is expected from you. One of the big misconceptions about this passage is the meaning of "to whom much is given". Most people think “much is given” relates to material things, like money and possessions. My understanding is any and everything you have meaning, skills, knowledge, love, money, possessions, etc. All of these things count as being given, as it is in your possession. The second part, "much is required," means that because you are so blessed with these things, you are expected to be of service to others who are less fortunate. Whether that is blessing others with what you have or giving of yourself. It is expected of you. Your blessings were not meant to be hoarded for yourself, but to share with others who are less fortunate. I try to live my life in a way that is pleasing to God. As such, I make it a habit of giving to others by paying it forward, helping the elderly, and volunteering. It is my service and duty as I have been blessed with a life full of love, happiness, and opportunities. So, to me much is given, from me much is required.

When you hold a door open for someone, and they say "thank you," that feeling is priceless. It's like you didn't do anything big, but you helped someone and they appreciated it. For me, that feeling is one I never grow tired of feeling. So, I perform acts of kindness not only to help others, but also to get that natural high of knowing I did something for someone else, and most times, it's a total stranger. I know that the life I have been given is one full of blessings and because of that, I try my best to show my gratitude and appreciation to everyone while trying to pay it forward by doing acts of kindness for others. The most important selfless act for me is to pray for others daily. Sometimes you have to pray for those who can't pray for themself, so you stand in the gap. It costs nothing to do that. None of my blessings would be possible without God, and I can do nothing without him, so asking him to bless others is a simple task. My goal is to live my life in a way that represents God and to do so, I must perform service for others. Another simple task is to share a kind word with a stranger. Even something as small as a smile towards someone who has done something nice for another person is a selfless act. My parents have taught me, "To whom much is given, much is required." For me, that means, I need to always find a way to give back in some form because I am abundantly blessed.

How many times have you heard a parent say, "I want my child to have more than what I had when I was growing up?" Then you hear that same parent say the words, "They are so ungrateful" about their children. I try to live my life so that those words are never said about me. I know that the life I have been given is one full of blessings and because of that, I try my best to show my gratitude and appreciation to everyone. The most important act of gratitude and appreciation for me is to thank God for all of my blessings daily. None of my blessings would be possible without God. I make sure to thank my parents regularly as I see their efforts and sacrifices daily to make sure I have a great life. Therefore, I not only verbally say thank you regularly, but I show my gratitude by doing little acts of kindness for them. It costs nothing to say thank you to someone who does something for you. And not only should you do it, but it is also expected, as that's how most parents raise their children. For me, any and everyone is deserving of those two words, "thank you!" Even something as small as a smile towards someone who has done something nice for another person can be a show of appreciation. My parents have taught me, "To whom much is given, much is required." For me, that means, I need to always find a way to give back in some form because I am abundantly blessed. I also believe that your acts of gratitude can be contagious. And that is even more of a reason to openly show appreciation among your circle of family and friends.

I’ve always prided myself on being the kid who believed I could do anything I wanted to do. My confidence is what helps me to believe that I can accomplish my goal of becoming an airline pilot. It became such a strong attribute, that my parents referred to me as the “confident one.” I’ve also been told that confidence can be both a blessing and a curse, because you can become overconfident which can give you a false sense of belief if you have not prepared. Confidence to me is the belief in yourself to accomplish a task. For me, confidence is not an issue until it comes to taking, what I call, “life-changing tests.” For some reason, taking a unit test or chapter test is not an issue, but class finals, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the American College Testing (ACT) and my written pilot exam are another story. It’s the only time I actually doubt myself. To help me become more confident during these times I’ve started using a few strategies when it is time for one of these tests. First and foremost, I ensure that I have put in the time needed to study. Last minute cramming just makes things worse, so I make sure that I start studying early and often. I also make sure that I get enough sleep. Being sleep-deprived is stressful in itself, so a good night's sleep before the test is a must. The most important strategy for me is to calm myself. I take deep breaths and speak positive affirmations to myself. When I know I am prepared, this is a tremendous help. When all of these strategies are utilized, the moment I sit to take the test I begin to feel confident because I have properly prepared.

At the age of 7, I became intrigued by airplanes. That interest slowly turned into a passion, and by the age of 10, I knew that I wanted a career that would allow me to fly an airplane. The challenge was that I didn’t know where to start. So I just continued to research and learn all I could about airplanes and flight while hoping that my desire to learn to fly would somehow become a reality. After 7 years of searching, an opportunity presented itself. I found a group looking for teenagers interested in learning to fly. The offer was a $10,000 scholarship which would cover the cost of earning a private pilot license. I applied for the scholarship and was granted an interview with the scholarship committee. After a week, I was notified that I was not selected for the scholarship. I was heartbroken and disappointed because I felt like this was my first real chance to learn to fly. I was discouraged, but my mother encouraged me to stay involved with the group through their Young Eagles program. Then two months after my scholarship interview, I received a call from the Scholarship Director. He stated that the winner of the scholarship had a change of heart and that the committee had selected me to receive the scholarship. What I learned from this experience is that there will always be speed bumps and detours on my journey, but I can’t let that stop me. I also realized how things could have ended differently if I had walked away from the Young Eagles group after not initially being selected for the scholarship. I would have not had the chance to have met the people who allowed me to take the first step to become a pilot.

As a child, I never doubted myself. I bought into the idea that I could be anything I wanted. What I've learned about myself is that if there is something that I want to do, I have enough confidence in myself that I will do what it takes to make it happen. This has proven to be very valuable. When I first heard my parents say that I was the confident child, I didn't really understand what they meant. But as I grew older, I began to realize that my confidence was my super power. It is like, my desire to obtain something wills me to do what it take to make it happen. When I wanted to make the basketball team, I did. When I wanted to make the Varsity football team, I did. And now my ten year goal of becoming a pilot is happening. I'm one step away from earning my private pilot license. My confidence is my most valuable asset.

Have you every had a dream of obtaining or doing something that seemed impossible? Did you attempt to make it happen or did you look at it as just a dream? I've had that dream for at least 10 years now, but instead of calling it a dream, I renamed it "my goal." My goal is to become a commercial airline pilot and just the thought of accomplishing that goal motivates me daily. When I was younger, I feel in love with any and everything about airplanes and with each passing year, that love turned into my passion. So when I embark upon a class, project or task that I dread completing or that I think of as impossible, I think about my goal. I have to get through high school to get to my goal, so it becomes a step in reaching my goal. I have started my journey towards becoming a pilot. I was able to win a scholarship which afforded me to be able to take lessons to earn my private pilot license. I have one more task to complete before I'm able to say, "I am a pilot." So daily I'm taking steps towards reaching my goal and when I think that I can't go any further, my mom pushes me and reminds me that I can do whatever I put my mind to doing. So my goals and my mom are my daily motivation.

My happiness comes from the basic things in my life, my family, friends, football and flight. This is where I go or what I do when I'm wanting to share a few laughs, feeling down and need a little pick me up. I love the relationship I have with my mom, dad and brother. While they are all different, they all bring happiness to me whether it is wrestling with my father, playing video games with my brother or joking around with my mother. I love them for what they add to my life. My friends are always down for a good time. When we are able to get together outside of school it's a barrel of fun. Football has been a love of my family since before my birth and is now a love of mine. I began playing flag football at the age of 5 and I have been playing ever since. Currently, I enjoy watching football and I look forward to the day that I'm able to serve as a volunteer football coach for a little league team. And finally flying is my lifelong dream. I am happy when I'm in my room on my flight simulator imagining the day that I'm able to fly the friendly skies. And when I get the opportunity to go up with my flight instructor it pure blissfulness. While I enjoy the people and things I've discussed, I also know how to be happy with myself. I believe that everyone needs to be able to have that inner peace that allows them to sit and reflect on the blessings of life. Those blessings should bring a level of happiness that no one or nothing can replace.

Merriam-Webster defines perseverance as the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. I believe that everyone at some point in life will have an opportunity to display perseverance. For me, one of those times came last year. I have a passion for airplanes and a desire to learn to fly. Last winter I found a group looking for teenagers to apply for a $10,000 scholarship which would cover the cost of earning a private pilot license. I officially applied for the scholarship and was granted an interview with the scholarship committee. After a few days I discovered that I was not selected for the scholarship. I was heartbroken and disappointed, but I was encouraged to stay involved with the group. I continued to be involved through their Young Eagles program. There I was able to connect with current and retired airline and private pilots where I gained a wealth of knowledge and received advice. Then one evening I received a call from the Scholarship Director stating that the winner of the scholarship had a change of heart and that the committee had selected me to receive the scholarship. As of today I am one task away from gaining my private pilot license. What I learned from this experience is that there will always be speedbumps and detours on my journey, but I can’t let that stop me. I also realize how this disappointment turned opportunity could have ended differently if I had walked away from the Young Eagles group after not initially being selected for the scholarship. I would have not had the opportunity to demonstrate how serious I was about flying and I would not have met the people who gave me an opportunity to take the first step in becoming a pilot.

Imagine an eight year old boy standing in Charlotte Douglas International Airport, staring out of the large floor to ceiling windows, consumed with curiosity and amazed at the huge planes. That little boy was me. It was about this time that I knew I wanted to fly. As kids we are told we can do and be whatever we want, but as I grew older, reality set in and I realized that I can be anything but there will be lots of obstacles that I must overcome to make it happen. Today my dream is still to become a pilot but the first major obstacle I must overcome is the finances that it requires. The cost can be upwards of $100,000. That I would say is a pretty big obstacle, one that would normally deter the average person. But not me. My first step was to make a plan and chip away at the obstacles that stood before me. First I researched groups around the Charlotte area that focused on STEM education and flight. In my search, I found a group who advertised for teenagers interested in flying. After contacting them I found that they were looking for students to submit to a national association for a $10,000 scholarship which would assist the student in earning their private pilot license. I officially applied for the scholarship and was granted an interview with their scholarship committee. After a few days I discovered that I was not selected for the scholarship. I was heartbroken and disappointed, but I was encouraged by the scholarship chairman, who stated that the committee was impressed with the experience I had gained on my own and wanted to see what they could do to assist me in reaching my goal. I continued to be involved through their Young Eagles program. I was able to connect with current and retired airline and private pilots where I gained knowledge and received advice. Then one evening I received a call from the Scholarship Director stating that the scholarship recipient had a change of heart and that the committee had selected me to receive the scholarship. As of today I am one task away from gaining my private pilot license. What I have learned from this experience is that I still have many obstacles to overcome as my dreams are ambitious. I also realize how this disappointment turned opportunity could have ended differently if I had walked away from the Young Eagles group after not initially being selected as the scholarship recipient. While this is not a typical example of overcoming adversity, I think it’s a great example of not letting difficulties derail your dreams. I would have not had the opportunity to demonstrate how serious I was about flying and I would not have met the people who gave me an opportunity to take the first step in becoming a pilot. My ultimate goal is one of entrepreneurship, to become the owner of an airline charter service. I want to be an inspiration for the next generation of African-American children, as representation matters. I want to be that pilot that returns to his community and takes kids on a discovery ride, just as it was done for me. But to have a person that looks like you to do it, opens your eyes to opportunities that you never knew existed. That eight year old little boy in me is still in shock that I am making it happen and while I have a long way to go, I celebrate each win along the way.