Help Amani K cover the costs of her flight training as she soars toward her aviation goals, which include not just her own success but to inspire other young African American women like her! Your support helps fuel Amani's journey of hope, dedication, and empowerment.

Training updates: h ttps://givingkidswings.org/active-students/f/amani-k---2023-presen t

Fundraising updates:

In June 2023 we exceeded our initial fundraising goal! An enormous thank you to the many generous donors who made this happen.
Giving Kids Wings matched the first $1,500, so $3,000 of assistance went toward Amani's solo glider training. Donations beyond the original $1,500 goal went toward Amani's pursuit of her Private Pilot Glider Certificate.

About Amani:

We were happy to have Amani K attend our 2023 Summer Glider Camp. Amani is now a senior at Brainerd High School’s Institute of Aviation. She trained intensively for three weekends in July of 2023, and soloed in a glider for the first time on November 19th, 2023.

In her words [lightly edited]:

When I started high school, I was asked to choose a career focus, but I did not know what I wanted to do. At first, I picked aviation because I had a crush on a boy in that program, but once I got started, I really enjoyed the class! I especially liked flying drones and flight simulators (I also got over my crush).

The aviation class was dual enrollment, meaning if I could pass the final, I earned college credit. Not many 9th graders can pass a college final, but three of us did! My grade set the record for the highest score at our school, which still has not been broken.

When I was 15, I took my introductory flight in a Cessna 172. This opened up a whole new world of opportunities for me that I had not known were possible.

After these experiences, I decided I wanted to pursue being a professional pilot.

I am currently a student ambassador for Brainerd. This means I go to events to tell eighth graders about aviation and encourage them to attend our institute. I was even a speaker at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s STEM for Her event, where I introduced high school and college girls to the four forces of flight, the history of women in aviation, and options they have if they want to pursue an aviation career.

Growing up, I never saw any black female pilots. It never seemed like an option for me before I started taking aviation classes and got to fly for myself. It would be amazing if, during my senior year, when I speak to younger students who are picking their institute, I could do it not just as someone who wants to be a pilot, but as a real pilot who has already soloed in an aircraft. That way, the little black girls who I talk to could know it is an option in their futures, too…even if they don’t have a crush on an aviation boy.

Glider camp this summer will be a great start for me to achieve my vision. I will forever be grateful to whoever chooses to help make my dream a reality.

Sincerely, Amani K

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