Fulfilling the Dream of Becoming a Pilot

Dreams of Flight Come True

For Aeronautical Science (Fixed Wing) major Shii-Ann Madison (’27), a love for all things aviation began at a young age, even though no one in her family was involved in flight.

“My dad is an engineer, my mom is hardworking,” said Madison. “People who have met my dad typically say that my family is full of ‘go-getters’. It’s because our brains and hearts are on fire.”

Today, Shii-Ann is among Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s newest class of Boeing Scholars, selected from across the country to fuel the career pipeline for professionals entering into the aviation and aerospace industry.

“I have been interested in piloting for 12 years,” said Madison, a graduate of Broken Arrow High School in northern Oklahoma. “It’s all I have ever wanted to do since my first grade year of elementary school. I wasn’t exposed to airplanes that much. In fact, before coming to the school, I had only been in one aircraft before.”

With no exposure to flight, it was her love of science that kept her head in the clouds.

“The only thing that kept me somewhat in the arena of aviation was science,” Madison said. “I love physics, chemistry, biology and astronomy, and I do think my curiosity kept me hoping to fly someday.”

Boeing Clears Scholars for Takeoff

The Boeing Company is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems. Partnering with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Boeing has established a $3 million endowment to assist students interested in pursuing careers as pilots or as aviation maintenance technicians, increasing the number of underrepresented populations in the aviation workforce.

“My family and I were very happy and thankful, because it was important to my parents that I had some aid for school,” said Madison.

Even before Shii-Ann became aware of the Boeing Scholars program, Embry-Riddle was already on her radar.

“I knew about Embry-Riddle before I knew about any other university flight program,” she said. “My dad mentioned to me that he hired a guy from ERAU at Raytheon, and he said they do phenomenal work. I’ve been exposed to the school and its reputation for a while.”

When considering which residential campus to attend, Shii-Ann decided on the climate that would test her skills as she learned to fly. Prescott, Arizona is known as a mile-high city with seasonable weather excellent for pilot training.

“I chose Prescott because I thought it would be a good idea to learn flight in harder weather conditions [such as] altitude and high winds.”

Starting Freshman Year

For Shii-Ann, the first few weeks of her freshman year were busy as she got acquainted with campus and made connections with her peers. Now, a few weeks into her first semester in college, she has begun to feel the challenges of her coursework.

“The first few weeks of being in Prescott were fun because I had that ‘freshman adrenaline,’” said Madison. “Now it is starting to get difficult and challenging. It’s still fun, but I am concentrating on performing well.”

As Shii-Ann focuses on her classes, the opportunity to connect and make new friends has helped her find her place on the Prescott Campus. So far, her experiences have only proven to her that Embry-Riddle is where she was meant to be.

“The nice part of this year is the number of friends that I’ve made so far. This semester I have made a lot of valuable friendships. Overall, I would have chosen Embry-Riddle in every timeline because it’s a school that fits my demands of academics, education, flight, challenge and fun.”

Enjoying Her Time in the Sky

The demand for professional pilots has never been higher. According to Boeing’s 2023 Pilot & Technician Outlook, the global need for commercial airline pilots will reach 649,000 over the next 20 years. By enrolling at Embry-Riddle, Shii-Ann will be ready to meet the growing demand for pilots with world class training from experienced flight instructors.

“My favorite ‘class’ is flight block,” said Madison. “I get to test what I learn and improve. My flight instructor is very cool because he includes new tasks during every flight to keep things challenging, which teaches me to always be aware.”

Aeronautical Science students receive hands-on experiences in dynamic labs and flight simulators to prepare them for their time on the flight deck. But for Madison, nothing beats the real thing.

“That is the best part of my major — simply getting the chance to fly and doing what I’ve been wanting to do for 12 years.”

Students Fly Further with Embry-Riddle

Students studying Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle are ready to take off into a career in aviation immediately upon graduation. Alumni go on to find success in airline, corporate and military careers. So far, Shii-Ann's experiences at Embry-Riddle have her charting a course to become a pilot for a commercial airline.

“I want to be an airlines pilot,” said Madison. “I’m not sure what company I would start with, but I want to end at American or Delta. I want to bring my family to see places they haven’t gotten the chance to see.”

Shii-Ann is motivated by broadening other people’s horizons. Whether it’s exploring, taking part in new opportunities or just returning after a long trip, Shii-Ann gets satisfaction out of allowing people to go where they want to go.

“I think that the best part about airlines, and the reason why I’ve always wanted to work in the field, is the fact that I will allow people the chance to finish international business, see the world, travel — or go back home.”

Discover Your Spark for Aviation

Shii-Ann has only just begun her freshman year, but already she has experienced much on her journey to becoming a commercial airline pilot. 

“To anyone who is not sure if they want to be in aeronautical science, I recommend going out and experiencing aviation conventions, fly-ins, discovery flights, events, anything that can expose you to the real world of flight,” Madison suggests. “Seeing it up close or hearing stories firsthand shows [you] if there really is a spark for it.”

Do you have a spark for aviation? Apply today to get started!