Aviation was never a given in my life. It was an idea introduced to me as a junior in high school, something that had never felt like a plausible path before. Growing up, it simply was not a career that was visible, let alone represented by women. So, when I began flight training at 16, I kept my focus simple: finish high school and earn my pilot certificate. I was not thinking about the long term picture, what kind of pilot I wanted to be, or what my life might look like.

As far back as I can remember, I’d been concerned about how my dreams of a flying career would intersect with my desire for a family. The two seemed to always be in conflict in my mind. I knew others had done it successfully, but there was hardly a clear path forward. I had no idea what it would actually look like.