17-year-old Kamora Freeland is New York State’s youngest female pilot.
A teenage girl named Kamora Freeland from Staten Island, New York always dreamed of becoming a marine biologist and exploring the depths of the sea.
Kamora didn’t always want to fly high in the sky.
However, something unexpected happened that changed the course of her life.
As per The New York Post, her mom, Lakema, introduced her to flying. Even though Kamora never thought of becoming a pilot, her mom signed her up for flying lessons when she was just 12 years old in 2019.
Kamora joined a program called United Youth Aviators, where kids aged 13 to 18 learn how to fly planes with certified instructors.
After 18 months of training at Long Island’s Republic Airport in Farmingdale, Kamora became really good at flying.
SIMILAR: Know more about this South African woman who started her own airlines!
She learned all about planes, how they work, and how to fly them safely. Now, she can fly a Cessna 172 G1000 or a low-wing Piper plane like a pro.
Kamora’s hard work paid off when she became the youngest pilot in New York State, and one of the youngest in all of America, at just 17 years old. She received her pilot’s license before she even got her driver’s license!
To celebrate her achievement, she was awarded a Proclamation of Achievement by Assemblyman Charles Fall and Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton in the Capitol at Albany. Kamora was honored and felt very humble about it.
Flying isn’t something many teenagers try, but Kamora is different, she’s determined and takes flying seriously.
Even though only a small percentage of licensed pilots are between 16 and 19 years old, Kamora proved that age is just a number when you’re passionate about something.
SIMILAR: Read about another inspiring teen who’s now America’s youngest teacher!
There’s another young pilot named Mack Rutherford who also made headlines. He became the youngest pilot in the world at 15 and later flew solo around the world at 17.
Kamora sees him as an inspiration and hopes to follow his path. As one of the few African-American female pilots in the United States, Kamora wants to inspire others, especially young people like her.
She wants them to know that they can achieve anything they set their minds to, no matter their age or background.
After graduating from Kingsborough Early College Secondary School in Bensonhurst, in the fall of this year, Kamora will start college at Spelman College in Atlanta.
She earned a full scholarship and plans to study economics. She hopes to inspire people that nothing is impossible if you work hard and believe in yourself.
