Women are constantly proving that there are no limits on what they can accomplish despite the many obstacles they may face. Esther Mbabazi, Rwanda’s first female commercial pilot, believes women everywhere should follow their dreams to matter what, the skies the limit! Women pilots were previously unheard of in Rwanda before Mbabazi, but she shattered that glass ceiling!
As being reported by CNN, Esther had dreams of becoming a pilot since the age of four, and though her father was killed in a plane crash when she was ten, it did not deter her desire to fly. She knew her father unconditionally supported her dreams, and she wouldn’t let fear discourage her, so she continued on her journey.
“I had to go for it,” Mbabazi says, continuing, “Even though it looked like a long shot, it was my only shot — that’s how I saw it so I went for it, and here I am.”
She attended pilot school in Uganda after graduating high school, and a year later was working for RwandAir in Miami. Though she’s encountered skeptics and immense scrutiny from fellow pilots and passengers alike, she loves being a role model for women everywhere and hopes other girls will learn from her story.
“Time has changed. Women are out there working, technology has changed, and everyone has the brains to do something, now it’s not about how much bicep or how much energy you have.” Mbabazi tells CNN.
Ester never lost sight of her goals, no matter the obstacle. What inspires to you reach for the stars?
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