A St. Genevieve High School senior is well on her way to achieving a life-long dream of becoming a pilot, thanks to a creative religion curriculum inspired by a television reality show.
Ever since she saw the Tom Cruise movie "Top Gun" about elite naval aviators, Karina Pedraza has had a passion for planes. Pedraza, who emigrated to the U.S. with her family from Mexico when she was seven, kept her dream in a holding pattern until her religion teacher challenged the seniors to pursue their yearned-for but never-attempted heart's desire before graduation.
Last year, St. Genevieve campus minister Kelley Endreola started a seniors' project in her Christian Lifestyles class loosely based on MTV's "MADE" self-improvement reality series. Each MADE show follows a teen as he/she embarks on a mission to break out of their shell and try something new, like learning to break-dance or play varsity football.
Endreola thought the MADE concept would resonate with her 2006 seniors who were given two-and-a-half months during second semester to create a video journal of their pursuits. "The response was overwhelming," said Endreola. Students selected and achieved goals of learning to swim, dance, surf, sky-dive and play instruments, among others.
"This year, I made such a big deal about not setting your sights low," said Endreola. "I told the students, 'This is an opportunity and don't let it pass you by and don't default onto something that really isn't what you love.'"
Pedraza took Endreola's invitation to heart. She revealed her ambition to fly and prepared the required feasibility study by researching pilot licensing requirements and flight training costs. "Karina had such a grand idea. I was amazed it came out of her mouth," said Endreola.
Initially, Pedraza's peers were skeptical she could accomplish her goal. "First, they told me I was crazy, that I wasn't going to be able to do it," she said. Then, the pilot-trainer who had agreed to donate time to teach her had to leave town due to a family emergency. But with support from teachers and administrators, she forged ahead.
Meanwhile, Endreola was interested in recruiting Pedraza to serve as a Kairos retreat leader. Pedraza initially declined, saying she had to spend weekends earning money working at a Bath and Body Works store to pay for flight training.
"Mr. [Dan] Horn [St. Genevieve's principal] was committed to trying to find a way for her to be a Kairos leader without having to compromise her dream of being a pilot," said Endreola. Horn contacted Kathy Anderson, executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation, for help in locating a flight training sponsor.
Anderson recommended Tom Wathen, a former Education Foundation trustee, who owns the Flabob Airport in Riverside. "Karina and I called Tom on the speaker phone. He was so encouraging," said Endreola.
Wathen offered to give Pedraza her first flying lessons, sponsoring her through his foundation which provides hands-on education in science, math and technology through the medium of aviation. He subsequently arranged for her to take lessons closer to her home at Whitman Airport in Pacoima.
During the summer, Pedraza will return to Riverside with a chaperone, her mother Blanca, for a week of intensive flight training at Flabob Airport. Pedraza plans to complete all the hours of flight training and study necessary to get her license since she wants to become a commercial airline pilot.
Her college goals include studying film in a new program at Mount Saint Mary's College, where she was recently asked to give a speech about herself during a prospective student open house. She credits her Kairos leadership experience and her ongoing MADE project with building her self-esteem in front of an audience.
"I'm more confident," said Pedraza. "I'm not so shy anymore. I don't get as nervous as I used to. This project made me realize that if I really want to accomplish something, I can do it.
"I think the message that every single student should see in my project is that when you have a dream, you should go for it."
Her encouraging "favorite" parting words to future MADE project students? "The sky's the limit!" |