Helping Dreams Soar: Though Shaesta's flight has ended, the mission continues!

Shaesta & Jill (Photo: Jill Meyers)

by Jill Meyers

This is the last post in my Helping Dreams Soar blog series, as this week marked the end of the Dreams Soar Global Flight for STEM. Shaesta Waiz returned to Daytona Beach International Airport on October 4th, flying the Beechcraft Bonanza A36 back to its starting point, greeted by the Dreams Soar team, friends, and a handful of media. What was originally going to be a 90-day journey turned into a 145-day journey, common amongst almost every “earthrounder”. As I told many people along the way, we don’t control the weather and we can’t predict aircraft maintenance issues. But how long it took Shaesta Waiz to fly around the world solo is not important at all. What is important are the incredible accomplishments of this mission, never done before in the history of the world.

Shaesta flew almost 25,000 nautical miles across five continents and landed the Bonanza in 20 different countries. She crossed three oceans - the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific - and quite a few seas including the Mediterranean and the Arabian. In addition, she flew via commercial carrier to two countries, England and Afghanistan, to hold Outreach events in places she couldn’t fly to in the Bonanza. We held a total of 32 incredibly successful Outreach events in 17 different locations, inspiring and reaching over 3,000 young girls and boys in person. Many people have flown around the world alone, including nine women, but none of them had the primary goal of inspiring and empowering young girls to reach for the stars and follow their dreams! None of them faced the challenges we did in having to work across every time zone on the planet to reschedule events, often multiple times, due to weather or aircraft delays. It is one thing to reschedule an arrival at international airports when schedules change, which is complex enough, but to be rescheduling visits to schools, gatherings of hundreds of kids at an airport or other venue, and moving media interviews around was not easy!

The pressure on Shaesta and our team was significant due to the calendar of flights and events. A great deal of the burden was on me, as I was handling Outreach planning and ground logistics, and supporting flight planning. But we took each day one at a time, and just played the cards we were dealt. I told Shaesta many times along the way to not worry about the schedule, since that was my job, and I encouraged her to focus on flying safely and keeping the aircraft moving eastward, which she did! In addition to flying and taking care of the Bonanza, Shaesta had to focus on other priorities like staying healthy and getting enough rest, so that when she wasn’t piloting or dealing with the aircraft, she had the necessary energy to tell her passionate story to a group of kids, and then go off and be interviewed by global media like CNN World News or The Independent. All very taxing and exhausting week after week.

We both, along with everyone on the Dreams Soar team, feel incredibly proud of the success of this mission. And as Shaesta always says, “success is never achieved alone”. The entire Dreams Soar team, led during these five months by the amazing Lyndse Costabile, came through every time with whatever help was needed. The reason this is miraculous is that all of us are volunteers, and with the exception of me and Lyndse, they all have day jobs. Busy day jobs. But they have strong passion and found the time to help this mission move forward. And we had the support of so many organizations, many of which I’ve talked about in earlier posts. And of course, our donors, who provided much needed financial or “in-kind” support during these five months. Shaesta would not have completed this flight without everyone’s help. This was the epitome of a team effort!

Matia Karrell, creator and director of FlyGirls and the person who asked me to write this blog, often asks me to be “more personal” in my writing. So here goes. I am very sad to have this journey end and have cried a bit these past few weeks. Being Shaesta’s primary support person, talking and texting with Lyndse many times a day and well into the night, and working with amazing people all over the globe to inspire young girls to pursue their dreams, has been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I have made friends all over the world in these past months, and although we say we will meet again, no one knows for sure if that’s true. And although I plan to support Dreams Soar for as long as it exists, I don’t know how often I’ll see the wonderful members of this organization – the Dream Team, the Board members and the Advisory Council members, some of whom I still have not met.

And then there is Shaesta. It is mind blowing that we did not meet until the day before her launch in May. You would never know that seeing us now. But being her “lifeline”, as the Dreams Soar Board called me, and being her “virtual co-pilot”, as Shaesta herself called me, allowed us to build a very special bond between us that will never be broken. We went through a lot together, navigating the many different waters of this global flight. I helped Shaesta get around the world and through some challenges along the way, and we also celebrated the success of each and every Outreach event together. I was very lucky to experience the events in Dubai and Washington DC with Shaesta, and the rest I had to experience vicariously through talking with Shaesta and looking at photos. In turn, Shaesta trusted me to make plans and decisions on her behalf and got to know me well enough by mid-summer to give me a good bit of worldly advice about my own life! I believe Shaesta is what we often call “an old soul”, insightful beyond her years, and with an incredibly altruistic view of the world. I learned a lot from her and will continue to, and I tell her all the time how she has changed my life forever. So, I thank you, Shaesta Waiz, here in this public forum, for having and executing your vision of making the world a better place, and for asking me to be part of that journey.

Dreams Soar’s mission, with Shaesta leading the way, will continue on after this flight, with plans to expand and keep inspiring the next generation of STEM and aviation professionals around the globe, especially young girls who don’t have the means to get a good education without outside help. I look forward to continuing my support to Shaesta and Dreams Soar, whatever that might look like as I transition into a paying “day job”. This has been the time of my life and Shaesta’s landing in Daytona Beach was in fact bittersweet. But I’ll do what I’ve been doing since May, taking life just one day at a time, and hoping that the best is yet to come.

Please continue to follow Shaesta's journey on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/DreamsSoar/

https://twitter.com/DreamsSoarSTEM

https://www.instagram.com/dreamssoar/

Helping Dreams Soar: When Crisis Hits, Just Take It One Day At A Time!

Hurricane Irma (Photo: NASA) 

by Jill Meyers

It goes without saying that the past two weeks have been very challenging for many people around the country. Wildfires in the west have produced red-hot flames and thick black smoke, destroying hundreds of thousands of acres and causing fatalities in Montana, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, and Utah. In the opposite corner of the country, many of my friends and colleagues were impacted by Hurricane Irma, not to mention the folks in Houston still reeling from Hurricane Harvey. I decided not to publish a blog episode last week since some of the Dreams Soar and FlyGirls teams live in Florida and were dealing with more important things like staying safe. This week I am going to write about taking things one day at a time, an important way to maintain one’s sanity in the wake of multiple and overlapping crises.

For me, the past two weeks were centered around two things. The first was filling in for Lyndse Costabile, our Dreams Soar Board of Directors Chairwoman, who was stranded on a Caribbean cruise due to the hurricane, with very limited access to Wi-Fi. Much of my effort was spent trying to keep in contact with our team members in Florida, along with our new Advisory Council member who lives in Antigua, an area hit very hard by the hurricane. I was first trying to determine who had evacuated (and where to) and who stayed behind to weather the storm Then I struggled to reach everyone afterward due to power outages and lack of cell service in affected areas. In the end, everyone was okay, but it was a bit stressful during the “not knowing” period, which lasted for days. I got through it by taking things one day at a time, and often just one hour at a time. I had to realize that all of this was out of my control, and I needed to stay positive and keep trying to reach everyone, and just hope for the best. And it worked.

Meanwhile, Shaesta was monitoring the weather along her route from Hawaii to California, with daily support from our friends at Universal Weather. The only issue seemed to be the wind -- it was blowing westerly, which I am told is not normal for that crossing. Even with all six fuel tanks filled to capacity, Shaesta needed to wait for the math to work out and needed the flight computations to be convincing that she could get all the way across based on the average wind component across the entire 2,119 nautical mile route. On September 7th, all looked good! Shaesta departed from Honolulu and was on her way! I was so excited! But then a little before two hours into the flight, I received a message from Shaesta that she was turning around. OH NO!! It turned out that some weather built up out of nowhere and the winds aloft increased during that brief time she was in flight. Shaesta made a very difficult but correct and admirable decision to do the SAFE thing and go back to Hawaii. So, we all went back into “wait mode”.

Shaesta continued to rest and monitor the weather, and the rest of us waited. For the first few days, I had to deal with a flood of Dreams Soar team members, sponsors, supporters, partners, and the public in answering questions regarding her status. This would have been stressful in itself but now I was handling this on top of dealing with the oncoming hurricane. But again, I just took every call and text and email one at a time, took a lot of deep breaths in between, and reminded myself that everything happens for a reason and that it would all be okay in the end. And it was.

The Bonanza arrives in California (Photo: Shaesta Waiz)

 

It was another week before the winds behaved! On September 14th, Shaesta got back in the Bonanza and took off for Hayward, California! It was perfect weather and the wind computations looked good. Shaesta was in a super positive mood and was so excited to finally be doing this crossing! Her flight time was 14.5 hours, a daunting task for a solo pilot. One of the things I do to support Shaesta is to monitor her flight, which has me logged into a system that allows me to follow her speed, altitude and exact latitude/longitude position at all times. Why is this important? Well, because the publicly-accessible flight trackers either lose tracking over open water, or the data they provide is not accurate or is time-delayed. On these long open-water flights, I feed the aircraft position data to the Universal team, so they can provide Shaesta periodic updates to the winds and weather. And in addition, by knowing her position and altitude, I know she’s OK. As a solo pilot, especially while crossing an ocean, Shaesta has a LOT to do in that cockpit. If something did go wrong, she would probably not have time to contact me, at least for a while, so I have to stay on top of things. So yes, I spent 14.5 hours watching the tracking data, in addition to being available to communicate with Shaesta when needed. It was a long day for us both! And how did I handle doing that for 14.5 hours? One hour at a time.

Shaesta successfully crossed the Pacific Ocean this month and crossed the Atlantic Ocean in June. And crossed many seas in between. And crossed five continents and visited 20 countries. By the time this is posted on Sunday, September 24th, Shaesta will be just a few days away from arriving home in Daytona Beach, Florida. She will have completed her around-the-world trip, the Dreams Soar Global Flight for STEM. She will have met with and inspired 3,000 young girls and boys, letting them know that they too can let their dreams soar. And I bet if you asked Shaesta how she survived this four-month long journey, she would tell you… one day at a time.

Helping Dreams Soar: The Team at Universal® Weather & Aviation, Inc. inHouston Gives It Their All!

by Jill Meyers

Last week I wrote about my own round-the-clock efforts to support Shaesta Waiz and the Dreams Soar team and mission, and how the reward far outweighs the fact of not being paid. This week I am writing a special tribute to our all-volunteer support team at Universal® Weather & Aviation, Inc. Why am I doing this? Because they are located in Houston, Texas. Yes, Houston. Their continued support to us (and other clients) during Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, is stunning and admirable beyond description. They are true examples of people who are so passionate about their work and so dedicated that they go to great extremes, with personal sacrifice, to fulfill their mission.

Universal’s Aviation Weather department is an experienced team of aviation meteorologists who “predict and adapt to weather conditions impacting your missions.” They have an amazing team assigned to Dreams Soar, headed up by their manager, Jack (I am using all fake names to protect their privacy), who was a Meteorologist in the U.S. Air Force, and who runs this team with compassion and a great sense of humor. He calls their Dreams Soar team “The Women of Meteorology”! The team includes three Master Meteorologists: Kim and Tara, both military veterans with over 25 years of experience; and Leah, with 18 years of experience. We also have two Senior Meteorologists: Alison, who also holds a dispatch license and specializes in weather flight following; and Wendy, newer in her career but a real role model for young women hoping to move into the science of Meteorology.

Universal provides Shaesta a weather report prior to departure, with information that helps her make go/no-go decisions. When Shaesta is enroute, they do “flight following”, meaning they follow Shaesta’s flight plan and provide her real-time weather data - information that helps her make the best decisions on things like avoiding storms or minimizing turbulence. The Universal team and I are able to exchange messages and pictures with Shaesta using a private and secure onboard system. We usually have two people from Universal working each flight. In addition to exchanging weather information, we try to have fun too! Sometimes we play “Marco Polo”, a game I loved playing in our backyard pool as a kid. Alison or Tara will type “Marco”, and Shaesta will provide her exact position from her flight computer, and I’ll take a screenshot from a map-based tracking system I use and post it with the reply “Polo”! And sometimes Universal will provide a satellite or infrared photo that looks like this: 

Sample weather photo (Photo: Universal)

The Universal team provides all of this support on a volunteer basis, day and night. Some of them work from home after their normal work shift ends, and some will drive into the office in the middle of the night to get online. Then, Hurricane Harvey came, during a time in August when Shaesta was scheduled to fly every other day, hopping across the South Pacific with questionable weather conditions. When I learned of Harvey’s path heading to Houston, I immediately contacted Jack, who assured me that Wendy, Alison, Tara, Kim and Leah would all be available as needed, even if they were stuck at work or stranded at home. My emotions bounced between shock and gratitude. The day after the hurricane devastated Houston, I texted Jack to see how he was doing. He replied by telling me he and his wife and dogs had to be rescued from their home by boat, and then he sent me photos of his neighborhood that brought tears to my eyes. He later told me that Leah’s home was also under water, and that she stayed at work to be online with Shaesta, while her husband dealt with the flooding until she got off shift.

Shaesta and I were so grateful for their continued support over this difficult time, and we reminded them of this during every flight. Wendy and the others would reply by simply saying how much they love what they do, and that they were just happy to be a part of our mission to inspire the next generation. It touched our hearts, and still does. 

The cleanup in Houston continues and Jack tells me it will take a year to rebuild his home. Leah and her husband are in a similar position. Luckily, the others on our Universal Dreams Soar team had no catastrophic losses. Throughout the past two weeks, we have witnessed this incredibly dedicated group of people giving support to Shaesta during a time when they had serious issues to deal with at home. They made this decision out of compassion for us, love of their own work, and dedication to supporting their customers no matter what the situation. It takes a very special kind of person to do this, and we are forever thankful. To the team at Universal, your devotion and altruism made moments like this one below possible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Shaesta in Nadi, Fiji (Photo: Dreams Soar)

Helping Dreams Soar: The Team at Universal® Weather & Aviation, Inc. inHouston Gives It Their All!

by Jill Meyers

Last week I wrote about my own round-the-clock efforts to support Shaesta Waiz and the Dreams Soar team and mission, and how the reward far outweighs the fact of not being paid. This week I am writing a special tribute to our all-volunteer support team at Universal® Weather & Aviation, Inc. Why am I doing this? Because they are located in Houston, Texas. Yes, Houston. Their continued support to us (and other clients) during Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, is stunning and admirable beyond description. They are true examples of people who are so passionate about their work and so dedicated that they go to great extremes, with personal sacrifice, to fulfill their mission.

Universal’s Aviation Weather department is an experienced team of aviation meteorologists who “predict and adapt to weather conditions impacting your missions.” They have an amazing team assigned to Dreams Soar, headed up by their manager, Jack (I am using all fake names to protect their privacy), who was a Meteorologist in the U.S. Air Force, and who runs this team with compassion and a great sense of humor. He calls their Dreams Soar team “The Women of Meteorology”! The team includes three Master Meteorologists: Kim and Tara, both military veterans with over 25 years of experience; and Leah, with 18 years of experience. We also have two Senior Meteorologists: Alison, who also holds a dispatch license and specializes in weather flight following; and Wendy, newer in her career but a real role model for young women hoping to move into the science of Meteorology.
Universal provides Shaesta a weather report prior to departure, with information that helps her make go/no-go decisions. When Shaesta is enroute, they do “flight following”, meaning they follow Shaesta’s flight plan and provide her real-time weather data - information that helps her make the best decisions on things like avoiding storms or minimizing turbulence. The Universal team and I are able to exchange messages and pictures with Shaesta using a private and secure onboard system. We usually have two people from Universal working each flight. In addition to exchanging weather information, we try to have fun too! Sometimes we play “Marco Polo”, a game I loved playing in our backyard pool as a kid. Alison or Tara will type “Marco”, and Shaesta will provide her exact position from her flight computer, and I’ll take a screenshot from a map-based tracking system I use and post it with the reply “Polo”! And sometimes Universal will provide a satellite or infrared photo that looks like this: 


The Universal team provides all of this support on a volunteer basis, day and night. Some of them work from home after their normal work shift ends, and some will drive into the office in the middle of the night to get online. Then, Hurricane Harvey came, during a time in August when Shaesta was scheduled to fly every other day, hopping across the South Pacific with questionable weather conditions. When I learned of Harvey’s path heading to Houston, I immediately contacted Jack, who assured me that Wendy, Alison, Tara, Kim and Leah would all be available as needed, even if they were stuck at work or stranded at home. My emotions bounced between shock and gratitude. The day after the hurricane devastated Houston, I texted Jack to see how he was doing. He replied by telling me he and his wife and dogs had to be rescued from their home by boat, and then he sent me photos of his neighborhood that brought tears to my eyes. He later told me that Leah’s home was also under water, and that she stayed at work to be online with Shaesta, while her husband dealt with the flooding until she got off shift.

Shaesta and I were so grateful for their continued support over this difficult time, and we reminded them of this during every flight. Wendy and the others would reply by simply saying how much they love what they do, and that they were just happy to be a part of our mission to inspire the next generation. It touched our hearts, and still does. 

The cleanup in Houston continues and Jack tells me it will take a year to rebuild his home. Leah and her husband are in a similar position. Luckily, the others on our Universal Dreams Soar team had no catastrophic losses. Throughout the past two weeks, we have witnessed this incredibly dedicated group of people giving support to Shaesta during a time when they had serious issues to deal with at home. They made this decision out of compassion for us, love of their own work, and dedication to supporting their customers no matter what the situation. It takes a very special kind of person to do this, and we are forever thankful. To the team at Universal, your devotion and altruism made moments like this one below possible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Helping Dreams Soar: The Joy I Get From This Journey Beats Any Paycheck!

by Jill Meyers

When I first contacted the Dreams Soar organization back in March, I asked Lyndse Costabile, the Chair of their Board of Directors, if they needed help connecting to Women in Aviation International (WAI) chapters around the globe, to inquire about collaborating on planning the Outreach events. I really expected to just send a few emails and make a few calls to contacts I had from being a WAI Chapter President since 2012. Little did I know that this would turn into me supporting Dreams Soar 24/7 on a volunteer basis, quitting my job in the process to support Shaesta Waiz and the organization full time. I thought I’d write a bit about what it’s like giving every ounce of yourself to something you are passionate about, even when you are not getting paid.

 As the person handling Shaesta’s outreach events and logistics, it requires me to be available all day and all night to support needs in almost every time zone around the world. In the early months, I needed to be up in the morning to support Shaesta while she was in Canada and then in Europe. At the same time, I was on conference calls with our planning teams in places like Dubai, Singapore and New Caledonia, which often had me on calls very late at night. And then my phone would ring at 2:00 or 3:00 am, when folks overseas forgot to pull up a time zone chart to see what time it was here in California! And once they called, I really couldn’t be rude and say “I’ll call you back when I’m awake”, because by then, their business day is over and they are asleep! So I’d crawl into bed around 4:00 am, until around 5:00 am, when Lyndse and the Dream Soar folks on the East coast would get up and start texting me. I was never one to keep my mobile phone on my nightstand, as I always figured “no call in the middle of the night can be that important”. But as soon as Shaesta departed on May 13th, my watch with the Indiglo night light went into the drawer, and my iPhone took its place, with the ringer and text volumes turned up loud.

Shaesta on the day of her departure (Photo: Jill Meyers)

An interesting phenomenon started to happen in June after Shaesta crossed the Atlantic Ocean and arrive in Europe. It was as if my body clock knew it had to align with hers. One of the Board members said to me one day, “You pretty much have to be up when Shaesta’s up, right? No matter where she is?” and I replied “Yes!". I started naturally waking up when she did without setting my alarm or I would set my alarm for the time I knew Shaesta would be heading to the airport in Athens or Bahrain and wake up right before it went off. But here’s the surprise: I have been getting very little sleep since May, often in 2-4 hour bursts, yet I have a lot of energy and am not really that tired, and I don’t mind sharing the fact that I am in my mid-50s, so it’s not like I’m “twentysomething” and used to lack of sleep.

People often tell me that they are amazed and impressed and even astonished by the fact that I left a high-paying job to do this full time for the duration of Shaesta’s global flight. From the day I started supporting Dreams Soar full time to the day that Shaesta will land in Daytona Beach, I will have been doing this for six months. Yes, it’s been challenging to give up a paycheck as I am not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but I respond to people by saying that this is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done and that I am having the time of my life! 

Supporting Shaesta and this team and seeing the looks on the faces of the young people that Shaesta has inspired fills my heart with love and hope for the future. Knowing that I am part of this team that is helping underprivileged kids understand that they can let their dreams soar is an incredible feeling and you just can’t put a price tag on that.

Young women in Kabul, Afghanistan listening to Shaesta's speech (Photo: UNDP Afghanistan) 

 

Shaesta with girls at an orphanage in Mumbai, India (Photo: Dreams Soar)

Helping Dreams Soar: The Joy I Get From This Journey Beats Any Paycheck!

by Jill Meyers

When I first contacted the Dreams Soar organization back in March, I asked Lyndse Costabile, the Chair of their Board of Directors, if they needed help connecting to Women in Aviation International (WAI) chapters around the globe, to inquire about collaborating on planning the Outreach events. I really expected to just send a few emails and make a few calls to contacts I had from being a WAI Chapter President since 2012. Little did I know that this would turn into me supporting Dreams Soar 24/7 on a volunteer basis, quitting my job in the process to support Shaesta Waiz and the organization full time. I thought I’d write a bit about what it’s like giving every ounce of yourself to something you are passionate about, even when you are not getting paid.

 As the person handling Shaesta’s outreach events and logistics, it requires me to be available all day and all night to support needs in almost every time zone around the world. In the early months, I needed to be up in the morning to support Shaesta while she was in Canada and then in Europe. At the same time, I was on conference calls with our planning teams in places like Dubai, Singapore and New Caledonia, which often had me on calls very late at night. And then my phone would ring at 2:00 or 3:00 am, when folks overseas forgot to pull up a time zone chart to see what time it was here in California! And once they called, I really couldn’t be rude and say “I’ll call you back when I’m awake”, because by then, their business day is over and they are asleep! So I’d crawl into bed around 4:00 am, until around 5:00 am, when Lyndse and the Dream Soar folks on the East coast would get up and start texting me. I was never one to keep my mobile phone on my nightstand, as I always figured “no call in the middle of the night can be that important”. But as soon as Shaesta departed on May 13th, my watch with the Indiglo night light went into the drawer, and my iPhone took its place, with the ringer and text volumes turned up loud.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600.0"] Shaesta on the day of her departure (Photo: Jill Meyers) [/caption]

An interesting phenomenon started to happen in June after Shaesta crossed the Atlantic Ocean and arrive in Europe. It was as if my body clock knew it had to align with hers. One of the Board members said to me one day, “You pretty much have to be up when Shaesta’s up, right? No matter where she is?” and I replied “Yes!". I started naturally waking up when she did without setting my alarm or I would set my alarm for the time I knew Shaesta would be heading to the airport in Athens or Bahrain and wake up right before it went off. But here’s the surprise: I have been getting very little sleep since May, often in 2-4 hour bursts, yet I have a lot of energy and am not really that tired, and I don’t mind sharing the fact that I am in my mid-50s, so it’s not like I’m “twentysomething” and used to lack of sleep.

People often tell me that they are amazed and impressed and even astonished by the fact that I left a high-paying job to do this full time for the duration of Shaesta’s global flight. From the day I started supporting Dreams Soar full time to the day that Shaesta will land in Daytona Beach, I will have been doing this for six months. Yes, it’s been challenging to give up a paycheck as I am not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but I respond to people by saying that this is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done and that I am having the time of my life!

Supporting Shaesta and this team and seeing the looks on the faces of the young people that Shaesta has inspired fills my heart with love and hope for the future. Knowing that I am part of this team that is helping underprivileged kids understand that they can let their dreams soar is an incredible feeling and you just can’t put a price tag on that.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600.0"] Young women in Kabul, Afghanistan listening to Shaesta's speech (Photo: UNDP Afghanistan) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600.0"] Shaesta with girls at an orphanage in Mumbai, India (Photo: Dreams Soar) [/caption]

Helping Dreams Soar: Every cloud has a silver lining!

by Jill Meyers

I have been managing projects and programs of all shapes and sizes for 25 years. I worked hard and studied hard to qualify for and obtain my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification 10 years ago, and have stayed current all these years by continuing my professional education and training in Project Management. I have an Aerospace Engineering degree from a top university with a specialty in Astronautical Engineering and do consider myself fairly intelligent most of the time. But nothing prepared me for the very challenging task of . . . Managing Shaesta’s Schedule. I learned an important lesson early on in my career, which has done me well during my support to Dreams Soar, which is: Always Look for the Silver Lining. It allows you to overcome challenges with more ease and less stress! Let me share some examples.

In addition to being the Outreach Coordinator for Dreams Soar, I also manage Shaesta’s schedule and handle the logistics for her journey. Our flight planning partner, HADID International Services, handles things like permits and route planning overseas, but I do the rest. I coordinate with the local civil aviation authorities and Fixed Base Operators (FBO) regarding ground support. I ensure hotel and transportation and meals are provided, along with seeking out donors to help offset the cost to our all-volunteer non-profit organization. All of this is fairly straight forward until something unexpected happens.  

In the early part of our Global Flight for STEM in late May and early June, Shaesta experienced weather delays in the Northern Atlantic region and was stuck in Canada for longer than we anticipated. We were on a “day-for-day schedule slip”, as PMP-certified people call it, making go/no-go decisions daily. Back then we had 32 stops ahead of us and about 20 of them had Outreach event planning going on. I spent a lot of time on the phone and emailing people all over the globe, shifting the schedule around and trying to keep everyone happy. Not an easy task! There were times when I was fearful of people being really upset, but for the most part, everyone was very supportive and willing to roll with our schedule changes, as they were also passionate about our mission and anxious for Shaesta to arrive.

 One truly difficult week occurred when the site leads in the Middle East contacted me after seeing my new schedule. They all said “Jill, you cannot have Shaesta come during that time. It’s during our Eid holiday and no one will be here! We all go on vacation after Ramadan!” The guidance I was given was to delay Shaesta’s arrival into Cairo, Egypt until early July. I had to work with Shaesta and our team to figure out a new plan, to balance out the fact that we had to extend our entire Global mission by several weeks. So what was the Silver Lining here? We were able to fly Shaesta to London on a commercial flight (we had previously removed the U.K. from our route), and she had three days of amazing Outreach events there. And, we were able to add Athens, Greece to our schedule, where Shaesta met with aviation students and visited children in an orphanage, giving them hope for their future. These events would not have been possible if we had stayed on schedule!

Shaesta with a group of kids at the Athens International Airport. (Photo: Dreams Soar)  

 

Another crazy time was during the monsoon season in India, which we were up against because of prior delays pushing our schedule out. We had to remove three locations from our route and look for a more southerly path for Shaesta to fly from Dubai to Singapore. We spent days looking for airports that carried the fuel used in a Bonanza A36, called Avgas. It turns out that hardly anyone in that part of world carries Avgas, nor will anyone ship it there, so it was a real challenge. We finally figured it out and had our new route planned, and I was so relieved! 

The next day Shaesta and I were messaging back and forth with our weather team, and Shaesta sent this simple question to them: “Did you see the SIGMET about the volcanic ash over my destination airport?” WHAT? All I could think of is “YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!” Yes, it was true. Mount Sinabung in Sumatra, Indonesia had erupted, spewing lava and ash for almost three miles up into the air. So we took a breath and started over, looking for yet another alternate airport, which we did find in Thailand. Was there a silver lining here? Other than the satisfaction that we did figure it out after being very fearful that we were out of options, I was able to find a very cool aviation-themed hotel for Shaesta to stay in at that stop, the Marina Express-AVIATOR-Phuket Airport.

The Marina Express-AVIATOR-Phuket Airport hotel. (Photo: Dreams Soar) 

 So remember….. Always Look for the Silver Lining! It might be hard to find, but it’s there.

Helping Dreams Soar: Every cloud has a silver lining!

by Jill Meyers

I have been managing projects and programs of all shapes and sizes for 25 years. I worked hard and studied hard to qualify for and obtain my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification 10 years ago, and have stayed current all these years by continuing my professional education and training in Project Management. I have an Aerospace Engineering degree from a top university with a specialty in Astronautical Engineering and do consider myself fairly intelligent most of the time. But nothing prepared me for the very challenging task of . . . Managing Shaesta’s Schedule. I learned an important lesson early on in my career, which has done me well during my support to Dreams Soar, which is: Always Look for the Silver Lining. It allows you to overcome challenges with more ease and less stress! Let me share some examples.

In addition to being the Outreach Coordinator for Dreams Soar, I also manage Shaesta’s schedule and handle the logistics for her journey. Our flight planning partner, HADID International Services, handles things like permits and route planning overseas, but I do the rest. I coordinate with the local civil aviation authorities and Fixed Base Operators (FBO) regarding ground support. I ensure hotel and transportation and meals are provided, along with seeking out donors to help offset the cost to our all-volunteer non-profit organization. All of this is fairly straight forward until something unexpected happens.  

In the early part of our Global Flight for STEM in late May and early June, Shaesta experienced weather delays in the Northern Atlantic region and was stuck in Canada for longer than we anticipated. We were on a “day-for-day schedule slip”, as PMP-certified people call it, making go/no-go decisions daily. Back then we had 32 stops ahead of us and about 20 of them had Outreach event planning going on. I spent a lot of time on the phone and emailing people all over the globe, shifting the schedule around and trying to keep everyone happy. Not an easy task! There were times when I was fearful of people being really upset, but for the most part, everyone was very supportive and willing to roll with our schedule changes, as they were also passionate about our mission and anxious for Shaesta to arrive.

 One truly difficult week occurred when the site leads in the Middle East contacted me after seeing my new schedule. They all said “Jill, you cannot have Shaesta come during that time. It’s during our Eid holiday and no one will be here! We all go on vacation after Ramadan!” The guidance I was given was to delay Shaesta’s arrival into Cairo, Egypt until early July. I had to work with Shaesta and our team to figure out a new plan, to balance out the fact that we had to extend our entire Global mission by several weeks. So what was the Silver Lining here? We were able to fly Shaesta to London on a commercial flight (we had previously removed the U.K. from our route), and she had three days of amazing Outreach events there. And, we were able to add Athens, Greece to our schedule, where Shaesta met with aviation students and visited children in an orphanage, giving them hope for their future. These events would not have been possible if we had stayed on schedule!

Another crazy time was during the monsoon season in India, which we were up against because of prior delays pushing our schedule out. We had to remove three locations from our route and look for a more southerly path for Shaesta to fly from Dubai to Singapore. We spent days looking for airports that carried the fuel used in a Bonanza A36, called Avgas. It turns out that hardly anyone in that part of world carries Avgas, nor will anyone ship it there, so it was a real challenge. We finally figured it out and had our new route planned, and I was so relieved! The next day Shaesta and I were messaging back and forth with our weather team, and Shaesta sent this simple question to them: “Did you see the SIGMET about the volcanic ash over my destination airport?” WHAT? All I could think of is “YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!” Yes, it was true. Mount Sinabung in Sumatra, Indonesia had erupted, spewing lava and ash for almost three miles up into the air. So we took a breath and started over, looking for yet another alternate airport, which we did find in Thailand. Was there a silver lining here? Other than the satisfaction that we did figure it out after being very fearful that we were out of options, I was able to find a very cool aviation-themed hotel for Shaesta to stay in at that stop, the Marina Express-AVIATOR-Phuket Airport.

 So remember….. Always Look for the Silver Lining! It might be hard to find, but it’s there.

Helping Dreams Soar: Collaboration Builds Community

Mervat Sultan, President of the WAI Middle East Chapter. (Photo: Altitudes Arabia Magazine) 

by Jill Meyers

Our Dreams Soar outreach program would not be successful without the art and skill of networking and collaborating with our incredibly strong community of women in aviation around the world. The relationship we've built contributed to our success so far in connecting Dreams Soar with our WAI community.

Two of our most successful events so far have been in Dubai, UAE and Mumbai, India and I'd like to talk about them. During the planning phase of the Dubai events, I contacted Mervat Sultan, President of the WAI Middle East Chapter, who I had met at the 2015 WAI Conference. While we'd talked only briefly at that time, when I contacted her a few months ago to ask for help with Dreams Soar’s outreach, she jumped in with a passion. Mervat and her team planned both of the main outreach events during Shaesta’s time in Dubai. I was fortunate to be able to attend, along with Lyndse Costabile, Dreams Soar's Board of Directors Chairwoman.  

One of the outreach events in Dubai was held at the Sketch Art Café, located inside the Mattar Bin Lahej Gallery. Maryam Al Balooshi, a very accomplished calligraphy artist and member of WAI, connected us to the artist and gallery owner, who hosted the event. Shaesta told her inspiring story to a group of over 30 women (and a few men!). We also had a private tour of the gallery and spent time networking among the Dreams Soar team, WAI Middle East Chapter members, media representatives, and a few young women aspiring to get into aviation. 

Joining us at that Dubai event was Fadimatou (Fadi) Noutchemo Simo, President of WAI Cameroon, and two of her colleagues, who flew all the way from Africa!  I received a text message from Fadi several weeks before the event, telling me that, although she and Shaesta had chatted by phone, they had never met in person and she wanted to be in Dubai to support Dreams Soar’s efforts. We were very excited that Fadi and her associates traveled so far to join us on our journey. It was a very special event for us all! 

The outreach event in Mumbai was just as successful as Dubai. In preparation for it, I'd spent many weeks in collaboration with Radha Bhatia, President of WAI India Chapter, and her team and the end result was a well-attended event with a large audience who was captivated by Shaesta's story and her thoughts on STEM education. They also enjoyed presentations by Dr. Shefali Juneja, Director of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Kiran Jain, Commercial Director of Air Asia India, both of whom are founding members of WAI India.
 

Shaesta, Maryam Al Balooshi and Shaima Alkamali (WAI Middle East Chapter) and Fadi Noutchemo Simo (WAI Cameroon Chapter). (Photo: Falcon View Films) 

Shaesta with Radha Bhatia, President of WAI India Chapter. (Photo: Dreams Soar)

One of the great benefits of connecting with these amazing women in Dubai and Mumbai is that they were able to help coordinate and sponsor much of the support we needed for Shaesta’s visit, including airport ground support, hotels, and transportation.  The team in Mumbai even put together a special celebration for Shaesta’s 30th birthday! The generosity of these women and their respective organizations went beyond our expectations as an all-volunteer non-profit organization. 

If you're considering whether or not to attend a professional conference, whether it’s WAI or the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) or the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), or any other, think about how networking at these events might further your passion in years to come.
Learn more about Dreams Soar on their website!

Helping Dreams Soar: Collaboration Builds Community

by Jill Meyers

Our Dreams Soar outreach program would not be successful without the art and skill of networking and collaborating with our incredibly strong community of women in aviation around the world. The relationship we've built contributed to our success so far in connecting Dreams Soar with our WAI community.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Mervat Sultan, President of the WAI Middle East Chapter. (Photo: Altitudes Arabia Magazine) [/caption]

Two of our most successful events so far have been in Dubai, UAE and Mumbai, India and I'd like to talk about them. During the planning phase of the Dubai events, I contacted Mervat Sultan, President of the WAI Middle East Chapter, who I had met at the 2015 WAI Conference. While we'd talked only briefly at that time, when I contacted her a few months ago to ask for help with Dreams Soar’s outreach, she jumped in with a passion. Mervat and her team planned both of the main outreach events during Shaesta’s time in Dubai. I was fortunate to be able to attend, along with Lyndse Costabile, Dreams Soar's Board of Directors Chairwoman. 

One of the outreach events in Dubai was held at the Sketch Art Café, located inside the Mattar Bin Lahej Gallery. Maryam Al Balooshi, a very accomplished calligraphy artist and member of WAI, connected us to the artist and gallery owner, who hosted the event. Shaesta told her inspiring story to a group of over 30 women (and a few men!). We also had a private tour of the gallery and spent time networking among the Dreams Soar team, WAI Middle East Chapter members, media representatives, and a few young women aspiring to get into aviation.

Joining us at that Dubai event was Fadimatou (Fadi) Noutchemo Simo, President of WAI Cameroon, and two of her colleagues, who flew all the way from Africa!  I received a text message from Fadi several weeks before the event, telling me that, although she and Shaesta had chatted by phone, they had never met in person and she wanted to be in Dubai to support Dreams Soar’s efforts. We were very excited that Fadi and her associates traveled so far to join us on our journey. It was a very special event for us all! 

The outreach event in Mumbai was just as successful as Dubai. In preparation for it, I'd spent many weeks in collaboration with Radha Bhatia, President of WAI India Chapter, and her team and the end result was a well-attended event with a large audience who was captivated by Shaesta's story and her thoughts on STEM education. They also enjoyed presentations by Dr. Shefali Juneja, Director of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Kiran Jain, Commercial Director of Air Asia India, both of whom are founding members of WAI India. 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Shaesta, Maryam Al Balooshi and Shaima Alkamali (WAI Middle East Chapter) and Fadi Noutchemo Simo (WAI Cameroon Chapter). (Photo: Falcon View Films) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Shaesta with Radha Bhatia, President of WAI India Chapter. (Photo: Dreams Soar) [/caption]

One of the great benefits of connecting with these amazing women in Dubai and Mumbai is that they were able to help coordinate and sponsor much of the support we needed for Shaesta’s visit, including airport ground support, hotels, and transportation.  The team in Mumbai even put together a special celebration for Shaesta’s 30th birthday! The generosity of these women and their respective organizations went beyond our expectations as an all-volunteer non-profit organization.

If you're considering whether or not to attend a professional conference, whether it’s WAI or the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) or the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), or any other, think about how networking at these events might further your passion in years to come.

Learn more about Dreams Soar on their website!

Helping Dreams Soar: Outreach is EVERYTHING!

by Jill Meyers

As I mentioned in my introductory segment last week, one of my roles for Dreams Soar is to oversee the planning of our Outreach events all over the world. Each location is different depending on how long Shaesta will be there, how much support we get from the local community, and what kind of STEM activities already exist in the schools and local aviation organizations. I have support from several different groups of people to plan and execute these Outreach events and I couldn’t do this without them.

First and foremost is our own Dream Team, an amazing group of talented and passionate college students (and recent graduates) who are the heart and soul of our organization! Several members of the Dream Team are assigned to help with Outreach planning. Dreams Soar also has strong support from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as part of their Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) program. I am able to collaborate directly with ICAO’s delegates at the headquarters in Montréal, Canada, and they connect me with their local Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) representatives at every international stop.

Part of The Dream Team. (Photo: Dreams Soar)

Madrid is a good example of Outreach planning at its best. The first Skype call had me and Dream Team member Jessica talking with Jose Ramón and Pedro from the Spanish CAA office. They had not planned anything like this before and wanted our inputs and ideas, so Jessica and I talked about Dreams Soar’s vision to inspire kids to pursue STEM education and aviation careers. We gave them a few ideas of types of events they could hold, and they agreed to do some research. Very soon they added Almudena to their team, an energetic young woman in her first job at the CAA, who is very passionate about our mission! After several weeks of collaboration, we had seven events planned over the course of three days!

Shaesta met with over 40 kids at the Madrid Air Museum, sharing her story with them and talking about aviation. She participated in a forum with Aviation Management Degree students and women from the Gender Equality Unit at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Shaesta met with Spain’s Director General of Civil Aviation and also spoke with the “Balance for AESA” team, a group chartered to empower the role of women in aviation in Spain. She met with a group of young student pilots at Madrid’s Cuatro Vientos Airport, where our Bonanza aircraft was hangered, and also spent time with members of Aviadoras, a group of women pilots from the Spanish Pilot Association.

Shaesta also visited the Escuelas Aguirre School in Madrid, the only bilingual elementary school in the city. And finally, she was interviewed by Fomento magazine and the Spanish Guild of Commercial Aviation Pilots’ magazine, as media interviews are also a big part of our Outreach program. As you can imagine, a great deal of planning went into this Madrid stop! All of our Outreach stops are not this complex, but they are equally important and powerful in our efforts to inspire the next generation of STEM and aviation professionals!

Shaesta takes a selfie with kids at the Madrid Air Museum. (Photo: Dreams Soar) 

Learn more about Dreams Soar on their website!

Helping Dreams Soar: Outreach is EVERYTHING!

by Jill Meyers

As I mentioned in my introductory segment last week, one of my roles for Dreams Soar is to oversee the planning of our Outreach events all over the world. Each location is different depending on how long Shaesta will be there, how much support we get from the local community, and what kind of STEM activities already exist in the schools and local aviation organizations. I have support from several different groups of people to plan and execute these Outreach events and I couldn’t do this without them.

First and foremost is our own Dream Team, an amazing group of talented and passionate college students (and recent graduates) who are the heart and soul of our organization! Several members of the Dream Team are assigned to help with Outreach planning. Dreams Soar also has strong support from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as part of their Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) program. I am able to collaborate directly with ICAO’s delegates at the headquarters in Montréal, Canada, and they connect me with their local Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) representatives at every international stop.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700.0"] Part of The Dream Team. (Photo: Dreams Soar) [/caption]

Madrid is a good example of Outreach planning at its best. The first Skype call had me and Dream Team member Jessica talking with Jose Ramón and Pedro from the Spanish CAA office. They had not planned anything like this before and wanted our inputs and ideas, so Jessica and I talked about Dreams Soar’s vision to inspire kids to pursue STEM education and aviation careers. We gave them a few ideas of types of events they could hold, and they agreed to do some research. Very soon they added Almudena to their team, an energetic young woman in her first job at the CAA, who is very passionate about our mission! After several weeks of collaboration, we had seven events planned over the course of three days!

Shaesta met with over 40 kids at the Madrid Air Museum, sharing her story with them and talking about aviation. She participated in a forum with Aviation Management Degree students and women from the Gender Equality Unit at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Shaesta met with Spain’s Director General of Civil Aviation and also spoke with the “Balance for AESA” team, a group chartered to empower the role of women in aviation in Spain. She met with a group of young student pilots at Madrid’s Cuatro Vientos Airport, where our Bonanza aircraft was hangered, and also spent time with members of Aviadoras, a group of women pilots from the Spanish Pilot Association. Shaesta also visited the Escuelas Aguirre School in Madrid, the only bilingual elementary school in the city. And finally, she was interviewed by Fomento magazine and the Spanish Guild of Commercial Aviation Pilots’ magazine, as media interviews are also a big part of our Outreach program. As you can imagine, a great deal of planning went into this Madrid stop! All of our Outreach stops are not this complex, but they are equally important and powerful in our efforts to inspire the next generation of STEM and aviation professionals!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700.0"] Shaesta takes a selfie with kids at the Madrid Air Museum. (Photo: Dreams Soar) [/caption]

Learn more about Dreams Soar on their website!

Helping Dreams Soar: Aviators Jill Meyers & Shaesta Waiz are on amission to help young women realize their dreams!

Jill Meyers

"Helping Dreams Soar" is a new Sunday segment that will run throughout August and September and is written by Jill Meyers about her experiences working with Dreams Soar, Inc. and the history-making flight of its founder and pilot Shaesta Waiz. Shaesta is piloting a Beechcraft Bonanza A36 solo around the world. Her mission is to inspire girls and young women to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and aviation education and careers.

by Jill Meyers

There is nothing more rewarding than finding your true purpose in life, and I believe it’s even more rewarding to find it later in life! 

Four months ago, after more than three decades in the aviation and aerospace business, I quit my job. I didn’t have a plan --  I just knew that I needed to find a way to help the next generation find their passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers, specifically in aviation. I have been a STEM advisor since the 1980s (before they called it STEM!), but only a few hours a month here and there at most. It wasn’t enough. 

Two weeks after I left my job at a major defense contractor, I received a text message from Shaesta Waiz, Founder, President and Pilot for Dreams Soar, Inc., a non-profit, all-volunteer organization working to inspire young girls to pursue STEM and aviation education and careers. I had never met Shaesta at that point, but I knew Lyndse Costabile, their Board of Directors Chairwoman. I had contacted Lyndse earlier in the year, offering to help connect Dreams Soar with WAI chapters worldwide.

So -- back to the text message. I had been on a couple of conference calls with Shaesta and the team, providing a few suggestions on their Outreach program. A few days after a very long meeting, I received the text message which led to a phone call with Shaesta, and before I knew it I was their new Women in STEM/Outreach Coordinator.  What an incredible four months it has been!

Shaesta & the Dreams Soar Bonanza A36. (Photo: Jill Meyers) 

Shaesta is flying around the world solo on a Global Flight for STEM, piloting a Beechcraft Bonanza A36 with five of the six seats ripped out and replaced with extra fuel tanks for the two ocean crossings. She is currently about halfway around the world on a route that stops in 34 places in 18 countries on five continents, and we are holding Outreach events in about 20 of those stops. Shaesta has already completed hugely successful Outreach events in Columbus, Ohio; Montreal, Canada; Madrid, Spain; London, UK: Athens, Greece; Cairo, Egypt; Dubai, UAE; and Singapore, and she has been to seven additional countries for fuel and rest stops. 

Why is Shaesta's story inspiring to young girls? 

Shaesta was born in a refugee camp in Afghanistan and her family fled to the U.S. when she was very young to escape the Soviet invasion. She does not come from wealth. English was her third language as they spoke Farsi and Pashto at home. She did not excel in school yet at the age of 30 she has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Aeronautics and holds a commercial pilot’s license. She is the first woman from Afghanistan ever to hold a civilian pilot’s license.

Shaesta talks to children at the Madrid Air Museum in Spain. (Photo: Dreams Soar)

 

As Outreach Coordinator for Dreams Soar, I assist local organizations worldwide in planning outreach events. I also manage the logistics and scheduling of Shaesta's flight and act as her primary point of contact during her journey. We talk every day and have a private messaging system to communicate while she is in flight. This, along with being given the opportunity to spend a week with her in Dubai, has offered me the rare gift to get to know Shaesta very well. It is fair to say that she is one of the most amazing and inspiring people I have ever met.  Shaesta’s story is one of finding your passion, working hard, and letting your dreams soar. 

In the weeks to come, I will tell you about what it's like to support this organization, to choreograph Shaesta's activities, and to help thousands of young girls around the world let their dreams soar!

Read about Shaesta's May 13th launch event and learn more about Dreams Soar on their website!

Helping Dreams Soar: Aviators Jill Meyers & Shaesta Waiz are on a mission to help young women realize their dreams!

"Helping Dreams Soar" is a new Sunday segment that will run throughout August and September and is written by Jill Meyers about her experiences working with Dreams Soar, Inc. and the history-making flight of its founder and pilot Shaesta Waiz. Shaesta is piloting a Beechcraft Bonanza A36 solo around the world. Her mission is to inspire girls and young women to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and aviation education and careers.

by Jill Meyers

There is nothing more rewarding than finding your true purpose in life, and I believe it’s even more rewarding to find it later in life!

Four months ago, after more than three decades in the aviation and aerospace business, I quit my job. I didn’t have a plan --  I just knew that I needed to find a way to help the next generation find their passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers, specifically in aviation. I have been a STEM advisor since the 1980s (before they called it STEM!), but only a few hours a month here and there at most. It wasn’t enough.

Two weeks after I left my job at a major defense contractor, I received a text message from Shaesta Waiz, Founder, President and Pilot for Dreams Soar, Inc., a non-profit, all-volunteer organization working to inspire young girls to pursue STEM and aviation education and careers. I had never met Shaesta at that point, but I knew Lyndse Costabile, their Board of Directors Chairwoman. I had contacted Lyndse earlier in the year, offering to help connect Dreams Soar with WAI chapters worldwide.

So -- back to the text message. I had been on a couple of conference calls with Shaesta and the team, providing a few suggestions on their Outreach program. A few days after a very long meeting, I received the text message which led to a phone call with Shaesta, and before I knew it I was their new Women in STEM/Outreach Coordinator.  What an incredible four months it has been!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="750.0"] Shaesta & the Dreams Soar Bonanza A36. (Photo: Jill Meyers) [/caption]

Shaesta is flying around the world solo on a Global Flight for STEM, piloting a Beechcraft Bonanza A36 with five of the six seats ripped out and replaced with extra fuel tanks for the two ocean crossings. She is currently about halfway around the world on a route that stops in 34 places in 18 countries on five continents, and we are holding Outreach events in about 20 of those stops. Shaesta has already completed hugely successful Outreach events in Columbus, Ohio; Montreal, Canada; Madrid, Spain; London, UK: Athens, Greece; Cairo, Egypt; Dubai, UAE; and Singapore, and she has been to seven additional countries for fuel and rest stops.

Why is Shaesta's story inspiring to young girls?

Shaesta was born in a refugee camp in Afghanistan and her family fled to the U.S. when she was very young to escape the Soviet invasion. She does not come from wealth. English was her third language as they spoke Farsi and Pashto at home. She did not excel in school yet at the age of 30 she has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Aeronautics and holds a commercial pilot’s license. She is the first woman from Afghanistan ever to hold a civilian pilot’s license.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700.0"] Shaesta talks to children at the Madrid Air Museum in Spain. (Photo: Dreams Soar) [/caption]

As Outreach Coordinator for Dreams Soar, I assist local organizations worldwide in planning outreach events. I also manage the logistics and scheduling of Shaesta's flight and act as her primary point of contact during her journey. We talk every day and have a private messaging system to communicate while she is in flight. This, along with being given the opportunity to spend a week with her in Dubai, has offered me the rare gift to get to know Shaesta very well. It is fair to say that she is one of the most amazing and inspiring people I have ever met.  Shaesta’s story is one of finding your passion, working hard, and letting your dreams soar.

In the weeks to come, I will tell you about what it's like to support this organization, to choreograph Shaesta's activities, and to help thousands of young girls around the world let their dreams soar!

Read about Shaesta's May 13th launch event and learn more about Dreams Soar on their website!