At Prom this year, the conversation came to my college plans twice. Both times, I explained that I was planning to major in Aviation Flight Science at Western, in hopes of eventually becoming a commercial airline pilot. I was met with replies that I was thankful for, but wasn’t quite expecting. “Oh wow, we need more women in the aviation industry,” and “Yes, girl power.”
I somewhat appreciated both responses, as they meant well. But, I couldn’t help but wonder why all they could think about was my sex, rather than the achievement itself. They certainly wouldn’t have said this to a man, but he still would most likely be congratulated. It led me into some sort of a spiral of intrusive questions, ending in one that has echoed in my mind since, “Was my gender a big contender in my acceptance into the flight program?”
Conversations like these seem to be becoming more common as schools, universities, and workplaces work to implement DEI policies. According to the FAA, females make up 4.6% of Air Transport Pilots. Many believe that women are being underrepresented and therefore underestimated or are discouraged from entering this industry due to this imbalance. That is one reason why DEI has been streamlined. But, to me, it seems like we’ve gone too far with these initiatives.
Similarly, my mom has been a commercial pilot for about 25 years and currently works for Delta Air Lines. I talked to her about my somewhat awkward experience, and she concluded that she, too, had similar experiences. She remarked that one time she was talking with a female flight attendant on a trip. She remembered how the woman boasted about the fact that the entire crew was female, comically saying that the flight was “unmanned”. My mom told me that she was confused about why this was such a big deal to the woman. Her rationale was that she didn’t become a pilot to explicitly represent the female workforce. She became a pilot because she loves flying airplanes.
The idea of DEI, in theory, could be a great way to motivate some apprehensive individuals into pursuing their passion. But, it seems to me and my mom that the way it is currently being implemented is completely undermining other important factors of qualification.
I am truly excited and honored to accept my admission to Western. But, I hope my admission wasn’t affected by checking the box marked female. I want my application to be weighed by my achievements and hard work. I was raised in a home that taught me to value earning my way, not getting it handed to me. I mean, wouldn’t you rather have a qualified and hard-working pilot flying your plane, rather than someone who was hired based on their sex or race?
So, if you ever have a female electrician repairing something in your house, or a male nurse tending to you, maybe praise them for their good service and achievements, not for their “representation”.
