Unlike most teens or young adults in their twenties, Ava Ridge has her life figured out. The Tega Cay native knows exactly what she wants to do, who she wants to work for and when she’s going to retire. A future surrounded by a family of her own is also in the cards; however, she’s focused on one goal and one goal only at the moment: to be a pilot.
From the little time I spent interviewing her, she’s going to be a darn good one.
A student at Embry Riddle University, Ava was interested in flying from a young age. That interest turned serious her Senior year at Fort Mill High School. With a little help from Susan Brackett, Career Coordinator for Fort Mill Schools, she met an American Airlines pilot named Shelly David. Shelly became her mentor, taking her to the Rock HIll airport to pursue her private pilots license. “I begged my mother to let me do it and, eventually, she ended up letting me,” says Ava.
Her passion led to a scholarship at Embry Riddle, where she’s gained both a private and commercial pilots license. She looked at a couple of other schools, but Embry Riddle won her over due to their strong brand recognition and vast alumni base. Upon graduation, she plans on sticking around to work as an instructor. This will allow her to fulfill the one thousand hours in the air needed to work for a regional or major airline, which is her long term goal.
Although she’d consider working for private companies like Jet Blue or large corporations such as Fed Ex or UPS, these options pose scheduling challenges for someone who eventually wants to have a family. “I definitely do want a family,” says Ava. “Whenever I get established in my career, that’s when I’ll start thinking about it.”
Her long term goal meshes well with the more family friendly option of working for a major airline like American, Delta or United. The “dream” according to Ava, would be to work for one of these companies, eventually retiring between 60-65 years old (depending on how much she loves her job). Once retired, she’s thought about receiving a medical certificate, which would allow her to fly charity flights past the age of 65.
Ideally, Ava would want to land a job at American Airlines, which she views as a good company with a “great work environment, great schedule and great pay.” This would also keep her on the East Coast, which is her preference, specifically in Charlotte or Miami.
Regardless of where she ends up, Ava has embarked on what she described as a “very difficult career path.” The difficulty presented itself early on. She recalled her first year of instrument training, specifically the second of five courses she was taking at the time. Not only were the courses challenging, there was quite a bit of knowledge she didn’t have given her limited exposure up to that point. With the right study materials and determination, she was able to finish her instrument training and steadily made it through her first year.
It’s been smoother sailing, or flying, ever since.. “Keep trying and keep persisting, you will end up getting there. Don’t quit.” It’s this kind of positive attitude and perseverance that have helped her succeed where others have failed.
In order to help the next generation of flyers, Ava mentioned that she’d be happy to offer advice and mentorship to anyone interested in flying. “I’d love to have anyone reach out to me because there’s so many things I wish I knew before I got into it.”
An impressive young woman, Ava Ridge is ready to take on the world and she knows exactly how she’s going to do it – by spreading her wings.
Ava can be reached @ [email protected]
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