Several years ago, I found myself involuntarily unemployed (a nice term for fired) and to say that I was lost is a monumental understatement. What I did for a living, my career that I had worked so hard for, had become who and what I was and not just that, but it was the only thing that I was. I had no idea who I was without my job (because in hindsight, it was just that – a job) and I felt completely alone and actually fearful about my future.

In the quest to shatter the glass ceiling within the aerospace and aviation industries, the focus often lands on the empowerment and advancement of women. While self-empowerment and community support among women are pivotal, the role of male sponsorship emerges as equally, if not more, critical in propelling women into leadership positions. The aerospace and aviation sectors, historically male-dominated, require transformative actions to not just welcome but actively champion female leadership. Here’s an exploration of why male sponsorship is indispensable in this journey.

I recently came across a thought-provoking article from The Business Journals that sheds light on the current trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the corporate world. This topic really hits close to home for me given my deep-rooted journey in aerospace and aviation – a journey not just marked by my passion for space and flight, but also by my commitment to elevating women in these sectors. Here are some key insights that I am taking away from the article, particularly in addressing the scarcity of women in leadership roles as well as those women leaving our fields in droves.

Recently, I came across an alarming update in WIRED: “Prominent Women in Tech Say They Don't Want to Join OpenAI's All-Male Board”. This article highlights a concerning decision by OpenAI to replace its female board members with an all-male lineup. This move is more than just a reshuffling of executives; it's a glaring step back in the pursuit of gender diversity in the tech world.

I have always worked. From my very first job of making corsages for a florist friend of my parents to lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons as a teenager; from being a bank teller in high school and college to my first “career job” in aerospace after I graduated. I have never not worked.

Until one day, 20+ years into my career, I found myself unemployed. To say that I was lost is a monumental understatement. I was a train wreck.

In the vast expanse of the aviation and aerospace industries, there’s an ever-growing need for empowerment, especially for the women who navigate these sectors. The challenges are many, and the path isn’t always clear, but with the right guidance and support, the journey can be transformative. That’s precisely where the “NAVIGATE™ Your Ascent MasterClass” steps in.

Over the past couple of weeks much attention has been paid to a recently-published paper containing data that seems to show that encouraging our young people to follow their passions rather than encouraging them to follow the money is creating a gender disparity in STEM/STEAM education and careers.

Yesterday was Women in Aerospace Day and as I read about some of the newest role models in the aerospace industry, thanks to Colorado State University and the Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering, I also started thinking about the women who inspired me in my career. There is no doubt about it that at the top of my list is retired Colonel Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot the space shuttle and the first woman Commander of a space mission. I had looked up to Col. Collins her entire career, even having copy of the famous Annie Leibovitz portrait of her hanging on the wall in my office. I have been fortunate to meet Col. Collins twice in the last year – once at the Women In Aviation International Conference in Nashville and once at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum. She was very gracious and graceful, taking the time to speak with me about the shuttle mission that I participated in and signing copies of her book for hours for all of the young women in line. It is difficult to describe the emotional thrill of meeting your hero and inspiration in person. I will relish these opportunities for the rest of my life.

I am on the Board of Directors of the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum Captain Jeppesen Foundation. Our mission is to help students understand the bast number of opportunities that exists in aviation careers such as being a pilot, engineer, designer, maintenance technician, and many others.

One of the highlights of each year for me is when we as board members interview young students and select those who will be awarded full glider or private pilot’s license scholarships. This year we awarded more than 20 of these scholarships. It is an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to speak to these young people and hear their inspirational stories.

The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report 2023”, just published this week, lists the top 5 most important skills for workers as follows:

Analytical Thinking

Creative Thinking

Resilience, Flexibility and Agility

Motivation and Self-Awareness

Curiosity and Lifelong Learning

Clearly, the ranking of analytical skills at number 1 emphasizes the value of a STEM education and/or background, but what strikes me is that the other 4 are skills primarily associated with right brain functions, more closely associated with the arts. This top 5 ranking of skills indicates that focusing on STEM is not enough. We can increase inclusivity plus better meet future workforce requirements by expanding the emphasis to STEAM.

It is unusual to read an article that is STEAM-specific rather than STEM, but Anne-Marie Imafidon does a great job of explaining why STEAM, and precisely the “A” for arts, is important and how we can go about engaging more girls in STEAM.

I just finished up a week away in the beautiful Colorado mountains for a women’s writing retreat. It was a great reminder of the importance of the art of writing to me as well as a reminder of why I am so passionate about changing the focus from STEM to STEAM. Not only is it more inclusive to use the term STEAM, but it is also just good for the soul.

The value and benefits of a career in a STEM field are well-known and well understood. Adding the “A” to STEM to create STEAM opens new doors for inclusivity, creativity and innovation in fields that are not conventially considered to be STEM careers.

What if we stopped asking kids “Are you good at math?” and instead asked “What are your interests and what are the problems that you would love to solve?”…

I just read a couple of statistics that shook me to my core and that I can’t stop thinking about.

According to a 2018 survey of Women in Aviation International members, 71% have experienced sexual harassment and of those who reported the harassment, 51% experienced retaliation.

What? Those numbers are astounding. If your jaw is on the floor, you are not alone.

I love aviation. I have spent the entire 36 years of my career in aviation and aerospace. I spend a great deal of my non-working time helping to educate girls – middle school and even younger – and to raise their interest in aviation and aerospace as well as speaking to young women about their careers, encouraging them to enter the industry. One of the best reasons for working in aviation, and I say this whenever a young person asks me, is the people. Some of the finest people I know work in aviation. And the people in this industry can do much better than what these statistics show.

The value and benefits of a career in a STEM field are well-known and well understood. Adding the “A” to STEM to create STEAM opens new doors for inclusivity, creativity and innovation in fields that are not conventially considered to be STEM careers.

What if we stopped asking kids “Are you good at math?” and instead asked “What are your interests and what are the problems that you would love to solve?”…

One of my favorite things to do when I speak to young people, especially young girls, about STEAM and STEM is to ask them what they do for fun and then to tell them about a STEAM job or career that centers around their answer. I have yet to be stumped!

“It’s an advantage that I was discriminated against. Cause I had to work harder.”

This is a quote from Rachel Balkovec upon being named the first female manager in the history of a Major League Baseball-affiliated team. Is this really what we want to teach our girls? Discrimination is good? I applaud Ms. Balkovec upon her first. Truly. As an avid follower and lover of the game of baseball, I say heck, yeah! It’s about time we start to see women being included in the highly visible (not to mention highly lucrative) leadership roles of professional sports. It is a fact that when girls see themselves represented in a career that they are interested in, they are more likely to aspire to and work toward that profession themselves. The more women in these roles, the better for all girls and women.