Page 45 - Education Issue
P. 45

Women of Distinction




           The next day my father         After the loss of her beloved   again.” Cindy was determined that
        received a phone call. My grand-  grandparents, Cindy could not   she would not allow this tragedy
        parents’ airplane had crashed. Our   bring herself to get on a plane.  to determine the trajectory of her
        family piled into the car and drove    “Around that time, I had   life. “I fell back in love with flying
        to the airport, where all we could   booked a trip. But, unable to   and adventure. I also got married
        do was witness the aftermath of   board the helicopter, I sat on my   and gave birth to my daughter,
        the tragedy. We were told that   suitcase in the airport, crying. I   Brittany.”
        there had been a complication   vowed never to fly again.” With   And then another tragedy
        during takeoff—a fluke problem   the help of her brother Robert,   struck, Cindy’s brother Robert lost
        that, before my grandparents even  she started to get past the fear.   his life in a plane crash. Although
        reached full flight, had caused the   “Robert took me up on my first   devastated again she attempted
        plane to go down. My father fell   flight after their deaths, and then   to utilize the lessons Robert had
        to his knees in front of the runway   the next and the next. He helped   taught her, and these lessons
        where they had taken off. We were   me resurrect my passion for flight   would be with her for the rest of
        all weeping. The loss was devas-  and seeing the world. I slowly but   her life. She realized how precious
        tating.”                       surely began to feel safe traveling   life was and how she needed to





























































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