My name is Valencia, I’m an educator in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I’ve been teaching STEM for over a decade. I have a phenomenal job and love my students teaching them STEM through hands-on activities and designed thinking!
In 2019, I lost my dad and through grieving I was on the search to find joy again. In my walk I quickly found myself back in the parking lots of airports watching airplanes fly as it was a shared experience from childhood.
Shortly after I took myself on a discovery flight for my birthday and was reminded why I fell in love with aviation. I’ve been training to fly while teaching, which is great until I got the best news! Recently, I was accepted into United Aviate Academy flight school where I will train to be a professional pilot. After spending years in education inspiring youth, I was struck by the innocence of a student's question when I was sharing my story, …”if flying was your dream why didn’t you go after it?” At that moment, I froze. He was right, but the truth was flying has a cost that I couldn’t afford. I've been training paying out of pocket. As a teacher, we love what we do but its not for the money. Now I have the opportunity of a lifetime and I invite you to come along side me on this journey.
I will be moving to Phoenix, AZ where I will train at United Aviate Academy. In their 14 month intensive program I will become a professional pilot.
Private Pilots License - $22,750
Instrument Rating - $ 17,000
Commercial SE (COM-SE) - $25,500
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) - $ 10,250
Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII) - $5,500
Commercial ME (COM-ME) - $8,000
Multi Engine Instructor (MEI) - $9,250
DPE - Required Designated Pilot Examiner Fee - $9,750
FAA Knowledge Exams - $875
Housing - $16,330
Books - $675
Total - $125,880
As you have had heard less the 1% of professional pilots are black women. Thats about 150 women. In the larger lens there are as of 2019 there were only 5.4% of pilots that are women in general. This is history in the making, an opportunity for you to come along side me and learn how your support has allowed for girls like me to go after their dreams. Let it be a reminder that faith without works is dead and that you can do anything you put your mind to!
To everyone that believed in my and supported me, I say thank you! Thank you for your support, for your encouragement, for an opportunity that I can walk into this with a bit more confidence and less stress knowing that I can focus on my studies. And I can focus on who I was meant to be!
Thank you