ESSAY - LEGACY OF FLIGHT I was born to pilot parents, and during my childhood I watched my dad save hundreds of lives through his volunteer med-evac flights while we lived in Central America. I vowed to be just like him when I grew up. This admiration led me into my Private Pilot training and through my checkride at age 17, before I even had my driver’s license. Volunteerism is in my blood - both parents have volunteered part- and full-time for my entire life. Naturally, while university tore me away from aviation temporarily, I continued to enhance my school and town communities through my own small efforts, such as donating graphic design services to nonprofit organizations and organizing university-wide events to promote wellness and cultural awareness. Now, I’m involved in the local EAA and Ninety-Nines chapters, and I volunteer in the Ninety-Nines board. In the future, I aspire to be a mentor in WAI’s amazing mentorship program, from which I have benefitted greatly. As I went into university, I wasn’t thinking about using aviation in my career, but gradually, I noticed the skill set that kept me alive in the air helping me excel in my studies. Where my peers floundered with time management and keeping track of multiple assignments, I was naturally incorporating aviation skills into my everyday life and rising above. In turn, this forced me to acknowledge that I needed work that pushes me to maintain that same attention and precision. I immediately began reevaluating my plans. I reached out to professionals in a wide variety of industries, interviewing almost 150 individuals in healthcare, construction, finance, academia, and yes, aviation. Over and over, the conversations I’ve had with people have pushed me in the direction of aviation. Not only would I find the constant challenge I need, but I would also be able to directly incorporate my dad’s legacy into my own life and pay it forward to the next generation. To me, the Fasiang Future of Flight scholarship represents a bridge into the Part 121 world. I am incredibly fortunate that my father is my CFI and is willing to contribute to fund my intensive training schedule, but I also recognize the immense burden this commitment places on my family. I hope to use these scholarship funds toward my written exam and training fees, to ease the financial strain my training places on my family. I’ve already plotted a course through my advanced ratings - I’ve mapped my future; all I have to do now is live it. ONE-YEAR PLAN June 2025 - August 2025: - Intensive flight training in Florida to simultaneously complete IFR and CPL endorsements (currently in progress!) - Serving in local Ninety-Nines chapter board as event planner and graphic designer - Engage with mentorship programs like WAI’s amazing mentorship program - Making connections and preparing to start working as a CFI after training period September 2025: - Specialized training to complete CFI endorsement, CFI checkride - Continue engaging with mentorship programs and volunteering - Continue to cultivate connections in the aviation community October 2025 into 2026 & onward - Building flight hours as a CFI - Continue engaging with mentorship programs and volunteering - Volunteering with Young Eagles to promote a love of aviation in the next generation - Training for ATP endorsement - Making connections and preparing to apply for regional airline/corporate positions - Submitting applications and volunteering - Attending aviation conferences