
Photo Courtesy of No Plane No Gain
Shaesta Waiz is the first female certified pilot from Afghanistan, and founded Dreams Soar in 2014. Check out the article, below, expanding on her efforts to promote STEM education through solo aviation.
After years of planning, Shaesta Waiz has nearly achieved her dream of flying solo around the world promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education. And in one of her final stops before heading back to Daytona Beach, FL where her journey began in May, she met with more than 100 young girls from the Washington, DC area to tell them they too could achieve their dreams.
“You are your biggest limitation,” she told the students gathered Sept. 18 at the National Air and Space Museum at an event sponsored by the Aero Club Foundation of Washington. “Sometimes your greatest fears in life can be your greatest passion. You won’t know until you go out there and face those fears.”
Waiz founded Dreams Soar in 2014 with a goal of inspiring girls to consider STEM careers, including those in aviation. With the help of partners, sponsors and volunteers around the world, she is nearing the end of her journey, in which she flew her Beechcraft Bonanza A36 more than 22,000 miles, visited 20 countries on five continents and met with nearly 2,500 young people face-to-face.
This article originally posted on NoPlaneNoGain.org.