My high school yearbook stated that my desired future career was a “systems analyst or helicopter pilot”.
After I got my first home computer, an Apple II in 1977, I quickly became a computer geek and a passionate programmer. A career related to computers was obviously in my future. While I got my college degree in Computer Science, I was already employed full time as the Manager of Information Systems at the Tech Museum of Innovation. I was good at it and I was making good money, so for better or for worse, I made the choice to stay in the IS/IT field.
By 2007, I had been working as a manager in the corporate Information Systems and Information Technology field for over a decade, and I had already achieved the first of my two high school goals. Something was missing in my life, a dream yet to be attained.
Thanks to the encouragement of a friend and fellow pilot, I went on a demo flight with a certified flight instructor on the last Saturday of March in 2007. A feeling of euphoria swept over me that day, and I knew I wanted to become a recreational pilot. That Monday morning, I turned in my resignation and spent the next four months studying and flying full time. I had my first solo flight in May of 2007, less than two months after beginning my training, and I finally attained my private pilot’s license in July of 2007.
Shortly thereafter, I rejoined the workforce and continued my career in information technology.
Never stop dreaming.