Aviation for Girls is a special annual member publication of Women in Aviation International for Girls in Aviation Day. Articles feature young girls living their aviation dreams, career ideas, and education resources.
Issue link: http://afgdigital.epubxp.com/i/742227
32 AVIATION FOR Girls 2016 A LITTLE HELP GOES A LONG WAY T o say that my life has been impacted greatly by various WAI scholarships is an understatement. I have been extreme- ly blessed to win various scholarships, ranging from academic to flight. All have not only assisted in my completion of degrees and ratings, but also have taught me various life lessons that have allowed me to grow into the person I am today. W H E R E A R E T H E Y N O W Through the scholarships, I received inspiration in many ways. I also learned that tenacity and perseverance will get me through challenges and help me ac- complish anything I put my mind to. When I first joined WAI and my uni- versity chapter as a college freshman, I had no idea about WAI scholarships un- til I attended my first conference. I saw many happy women going up on stage for their scholarships. After seeing the utmost excitement from the type rat- ing recipients, I knew I had to apply to scholarships, starting with small ones and working my way up to a type rating. My ver y first scholarship was the Delta Air Lines Aviation Business Man- agement Scholarship. This assisted me financially with my double degree. Pur- suing a f light degree and a business aviation degree was financially strenu- ous, so I was very grateful for the op- portunity. However, the best part of the scholarship was meeting the scholar- ship team and many inspiring Delta Air Lines pilots during the International Women in Aviation Conference. I was a sophomore in college working on flight ratings, and with very few female pi- lots at my university, I was lacking motivation. I was there- fore very inspired to see other female pilots who each worked hard to get where they were. The diversity of female pilots was empowering! Another memorable scholarship that I received was the Air- bus Leadership Grant. I had applied to this scholarship for multiple years before receiving it in graduate school. As an un- dergraduate student, I achieved leadership positions such as WAI chapter president and key officer positions in my sorori- ty. While I listed those positions on my résumé, it wasn't until graduate school that I achieved more leadership roles and felt confident as a leader. About two months before the conference, I got a phone call from Airbus saying that I was one of the final candidates for the scholarship. Af- ter a successful phone interview I was awarded the Airbus Leadership Grant. Upon meeting the Airbus team at the conference, I was told that they had noted my résumé in prior applications. To my surprise, they had read my essays in the years prior and watched my résumé im- prove over time. The belief that others had in me was humbling and motivation- al at the same time. I had no idea others watched me grow and had hope in me. In addition to the aforementioned, I was fortunate to have received other scholarships, all helping with flight rat- ings and degrees. However, the most important blessing to come out of these achievements was the courage I re- ceived. I gained a strong belief in my- self. I gained confidence. I know that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. At the time of this writing, I am cur- rently in training for a regional airline. Although ground school was mentally fatiguing and simulators are challeng- ing, I know I can accomplish this be- cause I have people who believe in me and I have a wonderful support network. I wouldn't have made it here today if it were not for WAI scholarships. Thank you, WAI and sponsors, for believing in me and helping me achieve my dreams. I wouldn't be here without you. ✈ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miyukiko Kostelny, WAI 41327, of Flower Mound, Texas, has been the recipient of four WAI scholarships (so far!): the Delta Air Lines Aviation Business Management Scholarship in 2010, the Dassault Falcon Scholarship in 2012, the Airbus Leadership Award in 2013, and the Ride the Sun Scholarship in 2015. I gained a strong belief in myself. I gained confidence. I know that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. K O K O K O S T E L N Y