Yeni, The Winner of a Dreams Take Flight Scholarship, Summer 2013!

We are so happy to announce the third winner for a 2013 Spring Scholarship Program: Yeni Ocampo!

The Girls With Wings Dreams Take Flight Scholarship is designed to introduce the world of aviation to someone who would benefit from experiencing the joy of flight. The award of this scholarship is intended to fund introductory flight training to encourage achievement of a stated goal, whether in aviation or in another field of study. There is no prerequisite flight training required for this scholarship, just enthusiasm and the desire to learn. The Dreams Take Flight Scholarship is an award in the amount of $500.00.

We are doing something simply unprecedented this year and we are super excited to finally be able to share the news with you. We are announcing NUMEROUS awards for our summer program instead of the usual two. Why? Because we are fortunate to receive donations and membership fees that people entrust to us because they believe and support the mission of Girls With Wings. There is no need or benefit to keep cash idling in the bank when the following individuals can take flight!

Yeni included the following in her cover letter:

My Name is Yeni Ocampo. I am 27 years old. I moved to the United States with my family at the age of 15 from Toluca, Mexico. I have worked very hard and, while I am the seventh child in birth order in my family, I was the first of my nine siblings to obtain a college degree. Over the past six years, my passion for aviation has really grown and I have done my best to gain entrance into this amazing industry. I have joined several aviation organizations to garner more knowledge about what direction I would like to take, as well as to help get other women interested and involved in aviation. As I have learned more about all the facets of aviation and talked to many people in all different areas of aviation, it has only strengthened my desire to fly. I have truly fallen in love with aviation and get excited every time I get to fly. It truly has become my greatest passion. In the spring of 2012, I approached my Center Manager with the idea of running a free Private Pilot Ground School for employees. He agreed and, thanks to his support, 12 employees, of which I was one, completed the Ground School course. Now that I have completed my theoretical training, I have started taking lessons from Aero Airways Inc. at the New Castle airport. I have been ecstatic with my first couple of lessons and I can’t get the smile off of my face after each flight.

Here is Yeni's application essay: 

From a young age, my parents instilled in me the importance of a good work ethic. After starting my first job at age 15, I became self-sufficient. Since then I have earned my Bachelors degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Finance. My introduction to aviation was back in 2007 when I walked my resume into FlightSafety International looking for a job. I was hired as a customer support representative. I served in this role for two years. My responsibilities ranged from scheduling client training courses to helping maintain their records. Interacting with pilots and flight departments daily exposed me to the world of corporate aviation. While acting in this capacity, I received many accolades, including FlightSafety’s Shining Star award, given each year to only the top ten customer support representatives within all of FlightSafety. My next achievement was to be promoted to Product Marketing Manager in 2009. Then, in April 2012, I was promoted to Center Sales Manager. In these roles, I’m responsible for networking and building relationships with current and prospective customer companies and their pilots. 

Upon completion of my Master’s degree in 2011, I discovered a new passion and desire, that of becoming a pilot. I have pursued this passion by joining several aviation-related organizations in the state of Delaware. I became a member of the Delaware 99’s and have found a lot of support from local women in aviation. We meet once a month to discuss current aviation topics and to share personal stories of accomplishment in order to encourage each other. As the youngest member of the Delaware 99’s, I have tried to bring a new perspective to the group and started by designing a website for the chapter. I am also a trustee for the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame where I am the chairman of the youth achievement, newsletter and fundraising (ticket sales) committees. As the chairman of the youth achievement committee, I am tasked with seeking out and researching potential candidates involved in aviation. An award is given annually to a young adult who has distinguished himself or herself in aviation career development. For the newsletter, I am responsible for publishing updates and events within the Delaware aviation community. This year, I am also in charge of the sales and promotion of the annual banquet, which provides the lion’s share of the funding for this organization. Lastly, I am a member of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA). As a chapter officer, I’m responsible for organizing and coordinating the annual Maintenance Symposium with over 300 Maintenance Technicians in attendance. 

My greatest desire is to expose more women, especially minorities, to aviation and encourage more of them to get involved. During the past six years, through my varied experiences, I have seen a need for increased diversity in the aviation industry. I feel very blessed to be part of the organizations with which I’m involved, but I also feel a deep sense of responsibility to get more young women to experience the wonders of flying. It is my desire to be a role model and mentor to young women attempting to gain entry to the industry. I feel that with my experience, and my many connections, I could be an asset to Girls With Wings. The hardest part is the first step, getting started. 

While I work very hard, it is often difficult to pursue my own dreams in the time that is left over. I purchased the house in which my family currently lives and I am financially supporting my family. This scholarship would be a huge help to me in continuing my pursuit of my pilot’s licenses and my ultimate goal of a career as a pilot.




We wish Yeni great success in the pursuit of her dreams! We look forward to hearing about your training.

See the details of the 2014 Scholarship program starting January 1st, 2014.

Please note that the scholarships are funded by donations - so we need contributions from people like YOU to keep our program running. We always have way more deserving applicants than funds. Visit our donation page to help.