![\"IMG_PSP_NGPA_conference_feb_2020-9\"](\"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IMG_PSP_NGPA_conference_feb_2020-9.jpg\" "\\"Envoy")
<\/a>With the shared goal of hiring enthusiastic pilots and employees into the aviation industry, Envoy and the NGPA collaborated on many occasions throughout the conference. Beyond our Diamond Elite sponsorship level, Envoy also contributed a $6,000 Advanced Flight Training scholarship won by Embry-Riddle alumnus Angie Dickerson.<\/p>\n For the many student pilots in attendance, Envoy held a special luncheon where we offered career advice, handed out a backpack full of high-quality swag to every attendee, and honored our hard-working Cadets who have taken advantage of Envoy\u2019s career path to flying for American Airlines<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition, Envoy\u2019s very own First Officer Swayne Martin gave a presentation highlighting his meteoric rise to success on YouTube, where he has over 133,000 subscribers<\/a>. Like the consummate young professional he is, Swayne offered personal advice to the LGBTQ community about navigating a career as a gay pilot in today\u2019s climate on social media, as well as shared his unique aviation story and his future goals.<\/p>\n Swayne, along with Envoy, are proud to be so heavily involved in the NGPA \u2013 our\u00a0Partnerships and Outreach Manager Martin Rottler<\/a> and First Officer Alex Kenning currently sit on the board of directors, and First Officer Scott Lebovitz co-chairs the Allies Committee. It all comes down to supporting those in the LGBTQ community, and pitching in to help make the aviation industry a more inclusive place.<\/p>\n NGPA Operations Manager Luke Schneider said that apart from garnering over $150,000 in scholarships for aviation students, the organization\u2019s main focus is to create a diverse and inclusive environment within the airlines. In turn, this increases safety on the flight deck by educating others about the inclusive language needed to accomplish this goal.<\/p>\n Luke, who is not a pilot but an airplane enthusiast, notes the important social impact the NGPA has on the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want our LGBTQ pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, and whoever else to feel like they\u2019re not alone, but rather that they\u2019re a part of something bigger,\u201d Luke said. \u201cThat way we\u2019re all aware and inclusive of all demographics, especially minorities.\u201d<\/p>\n During the Women\u2019s Committee breakout session, a common theme that kept coming up was the idea of putting themselves in a box in order to conform to society. Part of what the Winter Warm-Up and NGPA provide for those feeling like they can\u2019t be their true selves, is the support and courage to overcome isolation and enter themselves into the world.<\/p>\n \u201cThe NGPA is here to make life better through the beauty of community,\u201d said former NGPA Vice President Jan Anderson, an American Airlines Captain. \u201cWe want to create a safe environment for people to get out of their box, and bring positivity back into their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Alyssa Ciardiello, a 22-year-old Flight Instructor, agrees with Jan that the fundamental purpose of the NGPA is to help people be themselves, especially in the workplace. That\u2019s why she started the NGPA chapter at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona, where her dedication earned the David Charlebois Memorial Scholarship.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important for people to feel comfortable at work,\u201d Alyssa said. \u201cWhen people are happier in life, they become better employees, so it\u2019s in the company\u2019s interest as well to be inclusive of minorities and the LGBTQ community.\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin, and to be given the opportunity to succeed in their career \u2013 those don\u2019t have to be mutually exclusive. That\u2019s how organizations like the NGPA benefit everyone, not just the LGBTQ community.<\/p>\n It gives the industry a chance to view life through other people\u2019s eyes, and realize that, in this industry, we\u2019re all connected by our love of air travel.<\/p>\n \u201cIt starts with listening to one another,\u201d said Alyssa. \u201cEveryone has a unique story, and if you listen to them to understand where they\u2019re coming from \u2013 include them in the conversation \u2013 the more you grow as a person. Even when you think you don\u2019t have anything in common, you just have to look harder and find out that you have more similarities than you thought.\u201d<\/p>\n This year\u2019s NGPA Winter Warm-Up Conference in Palm Springs was a new beginning for the event, and for the organization itself. Held at the newly renovated Riviera hotel, the space was a welcoming refreshment compared to previous years, and in a way the new, sophisticated location was perfect for bringing in 2020 and the new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":41946,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[105,64,66,144,351,51,68,79,92,352,518,135,98,80,91,141,82,83],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13158"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.envoyair.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/a>“Part of something bigger”<\/h3>\n
<\/a>“Listen and grow”<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Click here to view photos from the 2020 NGPA Winter Warm-Up<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"