American Airlines Attracting Latinas
to Cadet Academy
By Jenny Lynn Castro and Gloria Romano-Barrera
Since its inception in 2018, the American Airlines Cadet Academy has been helping ensure there are efficient and accessible pathways into the professional pilot
career path. American Airlines’ first-of-its-kind program, designed to help future aviators receive training, funding, and mentoring they need to fly for the world’s
largest airline, aims to expand the pilot population and remove barriers for students while increasing diversity amongst the future and current pilot ranks. Those who
successfully complete the program have an opportunity to become first officers at one of American’s three wholly-owned regional carriers and eventually fly larger aircraft at
American. To date, 500 cadets have entered the program, with 50 percent coming from diverse backgrounds.
“We’re working hard to increase diversity within the professional pilot career,” shares Claire Webb, Pilot Recruiting & Development at American Airlines. “By
packaging together mentorship, more accessible financing, and some of the most knowledgeable flight schools in the country, the American Airlines Cadet Academy
continues to increase awareness of the career opportunities in aviation and increase accessibility to the pilot career path for anyone with a passion for flight.”
According to Webb, it takes approximately three years to complete all the necessary training and experience-building needed to become a professional pilot. At that point,
most pilots join a regional airline to build flight time and professional experience. American Airlines has three regional wholly-owned airlines — Envoy, PSA and Piedmont —
which are closely linked to the program, and currently has approximately 50 cadets flying around the U.S. for regional carriers. Once pilots build their professional resume,
they will be ready to fly for American.
Meet three Latinas, Daisy Soto, Fabiola Sanchez, and Nathalie E. Pauwels, who have participated in the American Airlines Cadet Academy, and share their experiences
in aviation with us.
Daisy Soto
Flight Instructor,
Northwest Flight Service
Spokane, WA
“I always had a dream of becoming a pilot since I was a kid,” shares
25-year-old Daisy Soto. Originally from Tecate, Mexico, Soto overcame many
obstacles to achieve her dream. Soto’s challenge with this goal was the
lack of programs in her hometown to assist her in achieving it. She
then decided to seek opportunities in education that would allow
her to follow through on her career path.
“I didn’t see any female pilots or flight schools in
Tecate, so I decided that I needed either to go to
Tijuana or go to the U.S. where I would have to
learn English, which is what I did,” Soto says. “In order for me to learn English, I
had to commute every day from Tecate to the U.S., and that included waking up
at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. to get to the border on time.”
At almost 16 years old, she decided to finish high school in San Diego, CA,
which brought about a rigorous daily commute from across the
border into California. Upon graduating from high school in 2014, Soto enrolled
at Cuyamaca College in San Diego, completing an Associate’s Degree in
Business Administration. After completing her degree, she decided to pursue
aviation, but had to find a way to pay for her tuition to attend flight school. After
being denied loans due to her status, she applied for U.S. citizenship and became
a citizen in 2018, opening many more opportunities.
Daisy passed her FAA checkride and became a private pilot on
November 11, 2020 in San Diego, CA.
22 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle V ol. 28, No. 1 , 2022
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