Aviation

Aviation is an obvious passion for me. I have spent the last 9 years of my life learning to fly, teaching others how to fly, and flying others around. They say that 1% of the worlds population are pilots, so when you meet another pilot you have an instant bond with that person. It is funny because even in some of the phrases that people say it is easy to pick out if they have flown before.

My interest in aviation originated from my dad. I still remember him talking to me about different career paths I could take when I was in high school. He told me that if he could go back he would be a pilot. I never really thought of aviation as an option. He took me on an introduction flight and I have been hooked ever since.

How do you get into aviation?
Getting into aviation is obviously expensive, so it is important to try to get the best bang for your buck. At the same time the most inexpensive flight schools sometimes don't give you the "safest training" The FAA lists all of the college flight schools on their website. There are also local FBO's (Fixed based operators) where you can just get your ratings and license and no degree.

The top college schools in the country are: University of North Dakota(UND), Purdue, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. These schools have outstanding professional pilot programs. Sometimes because they are bigger schools if you don't have a very good work ethic you get lost in the shuffle. There is not anyone "watching" out for you. When I was at UND, most aviation students either finished the program and were successful or because there was nothing else to do in the frigid cold, they became alcoholics.

I hope that someday Westminster's program will be at the same caliber as the bigger schools. I have tried to hold a higher standard for our students and this year we even had a few students pick us over Purdue!

Bouldering

Another hobbie my husband and I have is bouldering. It is like rock climbing but you don't use ropes and you climb rocks that are close to the ground but not very high. They are normally called bouldering "problems" because most people work on the moves and try them many times before they make it to the top. Bouldering problems are rated differently than normal rock climbs because they normally range from about 3-15 moves but they would be the most stout move if they were on a normal rock climb.

The picture is a problem in the Big Bend climbing area in Moab. I am pulling down on what is called a mono-pocket (which means you normally can only fit one or two fingers in the hold and it is really painful).