Goretti M - Pilot & Educator
I place my headset over my ears and pull the yoke back as I begin to taxi to the runway. As I receive clearance for takeoff from Air Traffic Control, the adrenaline sets in. The runway numbers streak underneath me, the ground gets farther away, and I fly away. I remind myself how far I have come - how far my family has come - and the work it has taken to get here.
I was born to Faith Karegi Justus and Anthony Muriithi Maina, in Nanyuki, Kenya, a rich country on the east coast of Africa. I traveled by commercial airplane for the first time from Nairobi to John F. Kennedy Airport in the United States as a baby. I was young but on that flight, I fell in love with travel and aviation. I believe that moment sparked my intellectual curiosity in aviation.
Starting high school at Lacordaire Academy offered me new opportunities for growth and greater access to noteworthy alumni with connections in diverse industries. During a speaker series event, I met Carole Hopson, a First Officer for United Airlines. She shared with us stories from her prosperous careers as a journalist and executive. Her true dream, however, was to be a pilot. She spoke of her passion for flying with bright eyes and a smile extended across her face. Hopson’s words sparked the ferocious passion for aviation that lay dormant inside me. I wanted to stand in her shoes.
Fast forward to September 2019. The catalyst of Mrs. Hopson led me to Eagle Flight Squadron, a flight program in East Orange, NJ that helps many young people learn to fly and enter aerospace careers. Founded in 1975 by Russell R. White, who was formerly a member of the United States Air National Guard, Eagle Flight prepares students for leadership, public speaking, and educational and technical skills related to aviation. Through Eagle Flight Squadron, my passion for aviation and flight intensified with the immensity of all the aspects involved. I studied fighter jets and military aircraft which I saw first hand at the Air Force McGuire Base. I connected aviation weather to the global wind circulation lesson learned in AP Environmental Science. I drew connections between the Allied bombers from World War II in AP US History. The best learning experience though is the true sensation of soaring in the air.
I love being in the air - not just because of invisible prestige that comes from having control in the air but also from one of my favorite quotes, said by Bessie Coleman: “The air is the only place free from prejudice”.
I started flying in 2019, and despite the challenges thrown at me in 2020 due to the global pandemic, I am committed to pursuing and achieving my dream. I intend on continuing my flight training throughout my senior year of high school and into college in order to become a commercial pilot. I am committed to absorbing as much knowledge and experience as possible and becoming a pilot through any means necessary. Most commercial airlines require that applicants must have completed at least their bachelor’s degree which is something I will accomplish. However, earning a bachelor’s degree is just the beginning for me.
