Aviation for Women is the flagship member publication of Women in Aviation International. Articles feature women who have made aviation history, professional development ideas, and current-topic articles.
Issue link: https://afwdigital.epubxp.com/i/619020
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 Aviation forWomen 23 asked what she wanted to do one day for her occupation," he continued. But once she shared the dream, the Barne- ses went to work fguring out how to make it happen. "I was at a Bible study one day, a nd af ter we f in ished Pastor John asked me what would I say if I had the chance to go to college in America. I said, YES!" she said with a laugh. "I told him I always wanted to work on airplanes. In Haiti most of the time you don't see Haitians working in mechanic positions at the airport. I would like to work for the mission- ary fights and help them. I would like to do some good. Pastor Barnes told me he would work to help me do that. He did all the papers," she said. In the fall of 2013 Vanah found herself at Weath- erford College, in Weatherford, Texas. "Language was a challenge," she said. But the teachers helped me so much." After one year at Weatherford she transferred to Tarrant County College's aviation maintenance program in Fort Worth, Texas. She was going to be an airframe and powerplant me- chanic, just liked she dreamed. But getting there wasn't going to be a cake-walk. "The frst two weeks were so diffcult. Everyone was so far ahead of me. I didn't even know the names of the tools," she said. "When I frst got there it was hard for me to get what the teachers were saying. My English needed work." But she hung in there the frst year, and teachers took extra time to get her up to speed. Now she volunteers her Saturdays to work with mechanics at the local airport. With just two semesters left to complete the program, Vanah is beginning to consider her next move. "I also would like to be a pilot eventually," she said. "After I test for my A&P; certifcate in the spring I will try to go for my pilot certifcate through the Tarrant County College aviation program so that I could do missionary fights in Haiti, too. In the villages the small airports are not like the international airports. They are not sophisticated, and it is good to have someone who can fx the airplanes with you when you are fying out to them," she said. "If I have both certifcates, the A&P; and the pilot certif- cate, I can be that person." ✈ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Laboda, WAI 14, is a freelance writer and founding board member of Women in Aviation International. Sponsor a Student Sponsoring a student's conference registration is easy! When registering yourself for the conference, just mark the box on the registration form that says, "I would like to sponsor a WAI student member." You can choose to sponsor the registration, just the student banquet ticket, or both. Not attending the conference but still want to help? Contact Sue Coon at 937-839-4647. Conference Student Sponsorships Each year, through the generosity of WAI members, a small number of student spon- sorships are available to help college students attend the International Women in Aviation Conference. More than 400 students have attended the conference this way since the program began. To apply for one of these sponsorships the WAI student member must e-mail Sue Coon (scoon@wai.org) with a short essay explaining how she would beneft from at- tending the conference, what her aviation goals are, and explain a bit about her f- nancial circumstances. The awards are then presented on a frst-come, frst-served basis to eligible students. The sponsorship does not cover airfare, travel expenses, lodging, or meals. Students who receive a conference sponsorship are expected to take an active role in the success of the event by vol- unteering for four to fve hours during the course of the event.