Diversity to Flight by Cyrus

Diversity to Flight by Cyrus - June 2020 Scholarship Essay

The purpose of this essay is how I will bring change to the career field of Aviation Pilots. The people of the United States are changing and with change comes diversity and challenges. In the career field of Aviation Pilots there is an under representation of minority pilots.
How does one change their intended career field? To make a change in a career field this starts at the grassroots level. Piloting should not be about what we see on television. Flying planes or wanting to fly should be about experience. If the flying experience can be exposed at an early age in demographic areas that are lower represented, this can help increase visibility of Aviation Pilots to lower represent demographics.
Second, a mentor program in lower represented demographic areas. Mentors can share work experience and provide guidance to those who want to be aviators. Experiences can come in the form of flight, military, school, etc. Mentorship has been a proven tool in many areas.
Lastly, bridge the gap between institutions and the demographics are poorly represented. Aviation institutions could use recruiting efforts towards incoming students, airline industries could use recruiting to increase visibility. Recruitment is another valuable tool that has been used by organizations, businesses, and schools.
This scholarship will help me meet my educational goals at Central Washington University where they have one of the best aviator programs. Upon completing the program I will use my experiences to help bring diversity to flight through the use of the above referenced methods.