Hello, I'm Sofia Goodwin. I am an Instrument-rated pilot, ultramarathoner, Ironman 70.3 finisher, and a Nevada Union High School Valedictorian with a passion for aviation and the outdoors. Ever since I can remember, becoming an airline pilot was my dream. I am pursuing a professional flight aviation degree from San Jose State University. Involving myself on campus with the Women in Aviation Club at SJSU (will be the historian next semester) and working off campus at San Martin airport as a fueler. I want to be a pilot because it is a fascinating and fun career. But my dream isn't just about me having fun; it's also about encouraging other young women to become airline pilots. When I was little, I saw women pilots welcoming us onto planes, and I'd think, "I want to be like her." If I become an airline pilot, I will inspire others and share my journey with those who want to do the same. One of my teachers, Wendy Mora, is a big inspiration for me, and I want to be like her in helping girls like me in the future. I'll do this by volunteering at schools and advising others who want to become pilots. Also, I want to create a social media platform to offer free advice and address questions related to pursuing an aviation career. Navigating the complexities of becoming a pilot can be daunting. Having had others guidance, I understand the importance of mentorship. I hope to empower and assist people in realizing their dreams within the aviation industry. Outside aviation, I pursue goals with huge dedication. From summiting Mt. Whitney to completing an Ironman 70.3 triathlon, showing I am a well-rounded, hardworking individual. My experiences extend to community service, including trash pickups with my high school climate change club, volunteering with Random Acts of Kindness events, volunteering at the save Reid-Hillview Airport Day and being a special needs assistant for the Nevada Union Ski Team. Academically, I am achieving Dean's scholar at SJSU while juggling responsibilities, including balancing a job to support my flight training, being involved in clubs, and other hobbies. In both high school and middle school, I was awarded valedictorian. One of my biggest challenges was after a flight lesson, when I was biking back to campus from the airport, I was hit by a car. My face was entirely bashed open, and I had lost three front teeth. There were so many stitches, and my nose was bloodied and broken. Luckily, I could still walk. After I was off the prescribed pain medication, I went back to flight training. I had not flown in a while and was rusty. Then, with the end of the school year approaching, I had to take another break to study for finals. After finals, I had to live in my car instead of moving back home because the school charged more money to extend our time living in our dorms, and I wanted to finish flight training in San Jose. After about a month, I passed my instrument check ride and was overjoyed! My aviation pursuits are funded by myself and my parents when needed. Luckily, I have received a few other scholarships, that are why I am at this point in my aviation journey today. I work full-time over the summer and winter and part-time during the school year to fund my training. This scholarship would be outstanding in helping me get my commercial license so that I can begin a flying job! It would relieve a significant burden of costs for me, and I would be incredibly grateful!

“Ladies and Gentleman, welcome aboard flight 1003, to Sydney Australia. This is your Captain, Sofia Goodwin speaking, our flying time today is 14 hours and 7 minutes, you have a great crew on board, Sit back, relax and enjoy your flight with us”. 37,000 feet in the air with the best office view ever, the flight deck!! This is where I see myself in 5-7 years. One more girl breaking the glass ceiling. My inspiration came at an early age. I have always wanted to fly, travel and experience the world. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be an airline pilot. I have had the privilege to travel quite a bit. From seeing the ruins in Pompeii to the Empire State building, I love to travel, to experience different cultures, and people.. With hard work, determination, and the financial means to complete my education and training, I will succeed. This is my last year in high school, and the search for colleges has begun. Which college has the best program or relationship with the legacy airline carriers, that is my current focus. My secondary focus is to utilize my resources to find scholarships that will help offset the massive costs involved in achieving my career goals. As a senior year in High School, I'm carrying a 4.06 GPA, and have received an Academic Athletic Scholar award every year. This award is given to stellar athletes that maintain high GPA's. My plan after high school is to attend a 4 year college that offers a Professional Pilot program. I have been accepted into every college that I have applied to, and yes, as you stated, it is very expensive. The cost to attend school and fly is close to 165,000. My decision is between SJSU which is an in state school or CWU in Washington. After college, my plan is to accumulate enough flying hours so that I can become a commercial airline pilot and eventually fly for a legacy carrier. Currently, I am proud to say that I am getting very close to my solo flight. My instructor believes that I am two weeks away. I am hoping to receive my private pilots license before I leave for college in late August. I am confident that this will be achieved. Thank you for your time and consideration. You too can help a young person succeed and fulfill their dreams. Thank you. Respectfully, Sofia Goodwin

Patience is an important part of our society and it helps cultivate healthy, happy relationships. It is best for critical decision making. When one is patient, things that may seem difficult will be handled with greater ease and oftentimes completed faster than anticipated. Patience allows you to see obstacles and solutions more clearly. Patience will be a master component in the success of my career. Being an Airline Pilot has a lot of stress, and skill factors that will warrant a patient person. I believe people who are more patient have healthier relationships personally and professionally. Patience is known to make a person happier and healthier, I strive to stay healthy both physically and mentally. Patience is a desired skill that is widely studied, its benefits are astounding. Thank you for this opportunity to touch on the importance of patience which I will be using during this waiting period for college acceptance and scholarship offerings.

Well, after visiting the Picasso museum in Barcelona, I was compelled to ask and research if he was mentally ill? And Yes, he suffered from bipolar disorder, which in my opinion resonates in his later work. I actually enjoyed the unusual aspects of his technique. And now can easily identify which art is his.

This is my Why? Coming to love helping others. In this essay you will see my commitment to community and inspiring others to be better. My most recent experience with community service was volunteering with RAKE aka Random Acts of Kindness organization. This opportunity involved helping stack and move firewood so that it could be transported to the elderly and the needy prior to the upcoming winter months. This experience made me feel good about what I was doing. I knew that I was helping to contribute to someone that is less fortunate. It really helped me realize that I want to get more involved and help others. I had an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and motivation to continue volunteering and will take any opportunity that pops up to make the time to help others. I was surprised to experience a sense of community with the other participants and how purposeful I felt. This experience has pushed me to create and begin a youth program designed to motivate and inform young people to be healthy and learn the love of fitness. I am currently collaborating with my previous middle school to implement an after school program designed for students that cannot or do not have the resources to participate in school team sports, as they may not have the courage to try out or did not make the cut off. This program is in the very early stages of coming to fruition. I am hoping for a successful outcome. Community service is an important part of our society as it brings people together. Currently, I have an ongoing, as needed relationship with a middle school teacher. Where I volunteer my time to whatever tasks need attention. Whether it be painting the classroom to give it a fun look for the kids in the class, organizing desk drawers or file cabinets to make the teachers life easier or grading papers, I am available to help at the teachers disposal. Community service provides a sense of worth and purpose, it is the selfless act of giving that makes us feel good about ourselves. Not only does it positively affect our lives by giving meaning but, it helps other people and positively affects their lives too. Community service goes full circle when it comes to a sense of positivity. Giving back is truly the meaning of life, it makes us feel a sense of wholeness. Sometimes even better than that. The feelings are powerful. As renowned speaker Tony Robbins once said, “Why is it important to give back to the community? Because the secret to living is giving. True fulfillment doesn’t lie in material possessions, following a certain blueprint for your life or even in finding a passionate relationship. Those things are all parts of achieving a good life. But real meaning in life never comes from what you get, it comes from what you give.” This is exactly how I feel after volunteering. I am so glad that I have been able to experience this at such a young age. I hope to continue volunteering for the rest of my life. Thank you for your time and consideration. From, Sofia Goodwin