Our Inspiration
| |

Our Inspiration

The inspiration for Fly For The Culture is the friendship of two young men during the Korean War: Jesse Brown and Thomas Hudner. Their story epitomizes the kinship, sacrifice, and love that transcends the boundaries of race and culture.   Jesse Brown grew up in Mississippi during the Great Depression. Although his family was far from…

Jared Hodge
| |

Jared Hodge

Forty-year old Jared Hodge dreamed of becoming a pilot since the age of six-years old. Hodge’s parents often took him to airshows at a young age, which sparked his interest in aviation and he never looked back.  He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Aviation Management and Professional Flight from Auburn University. While at…

Hunter Maxwell

Hunter Maxwell

Twenty-five year old Hunter Maxwell is a private pilot, and currently training to be a reserve pilot with the US Air Force. Given that Maxwell’s grandfather, father, and aunt all worked in aviation, you might assume he has long wanted to follow in their footsteps. However, it wasn’t until college that he decided on becoming…

Xylene DeCoteau
|

Xylene DeCoteau

Twenty-one year old Xylene DeCoteau is a Certified Flight Instructor who aspires to be a commercial airline pilot. DeCoteau’s mother, who was a flight attendant, sparked her interest in pursuing a career in the aviation industry. Originally, DeCoteau wanted to be a flight attendant like her mother. However, after doing more research and participating in…

Christian Cunningham
|

Christian Cunningham

Christian Cunningham, a senior aeronautical studies major at Kent State University, has been doubted. Some said he would never become a pilot. But Cunningham is already proving them wrong. Graduation is on the horizon, and he and his internship were recently featured on CNN.  “People would always say I couldn’t do it because I had…

Lauren Williams
|

Lauren Williams

Lauren Willliams knew she wanted to fly after going to an air show with her parents at the age of four. She described being mesmerized by a F/A-18 at a military air show during Fleet Week in San Francisco.   “I was blown away,” Williams said. “I knew then that’s what really sparked my interest.” Now,…

Cosby Washington
|

Cosby Washington

Cosby Washingtion’s life-long dream to become a pilot started in the third-grade with a science fair project on paper airplanes that advanced to the city wide science fair. At thirty-two years old Washington recalls the fateful city wide science fair event that set in motion his career in the aviation industry. “At the city wide…