Fulfilling a Dream and Paying It Forward

My name is Aiden, a second-year Geography and Aviation student and a member to the Waterloo Warriors Varsity Track team and the University of Waterloo’s sports business association.  It is an honour to share my aviation experiences with you, and I aim to inspire you to achieve dreams beyond your imagination and leave a lasting impact through your legacy.

Each of us has been brought into the world of aviation through a life-changing experience that created a passion which, over time, turned into an obsession with the miracles of flight.

My goal is to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to feel motivated and inspired, as I did when I was first exposed to the beauty of this career. My journey towards becoming a pilot first began at 11 months old when I was aboard an overnight flight; at this young age, I stayed awake the entire flight, peering out the window. I was told that ever since that day, my interest in Aviation has been dominant in every aspect of my life.

Mentoring prepares you for what’s to come and inspires innovation, confidence, and leadership. For years, I gained knowledge about aviation, but an important issue was constantly in play: the lack of role models. Being a member of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of colour) community, the number of role models that resembled my appearance was limited, creating difficulties in visualizing myself in a similar position at a young age. After the completion of my private pilot’s license, I began to understand that not only am I now a pilot, but I now have the opportunity to ensure that students who come after me are not without mentors.

My most significant steps to achieve this involve youth Engagement and outreach in association with the Urban Pilot’s network and diversity and inclusion at the Girls Take Flight event.

As future and current Aviation students, we are in the perfect position now, at a critical time in the aviation industry, to transform the industry, create change, and open the industry to diversity and sustainability. 

The aviation community in Waterloo is incredibly diverse but can continually be improved upon. I aim to leave a legacy that breaks stereotypes, fosters excellence, and potentially inspires a young future pilot who might be feeling as I once did. Beyond this aspiration, I aim to build a prosperous career through commercial airline service, corporate aviation flying and Aerial firefighting. 

My aim in telling you this story is to remind you that no matter the challenge, there are ways to rise above it and make a change, so we all improve as one. What others say or do does not define who you are or can be.  

The experience I’ve had so far in this industry has taught me to “trust your instruments.” Trust your work ethic, planning, passion, skill set, and willingness to be disciplined through success and failure. I’ve realized that taking one step closer to my dream fulfills my plan and makes a difference I may not even realize.

My goal is to motivate and inspire, as I was when I was first exposed to the beauty of this career.

Leave your legacy!