Aviation event aims to inspire girls in the community

Ariana Chavez, a CBU flight instructor and alumna, shows an attendee of Girls in Aviation how to work the flight simulator.

Riverside, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2021) — Dozens of school-age girls and their parents streamed through the Flight Operations Center on Nov. 1, participating in various activities, from virtually flying in a flight simulator to sitting inside a Piper airplane.

The Girls in Aviation event was hosted by the California Baptist University chapter of Women in Aviation International.

“Girls in Aviation is a great event to show young girls that they can accomplish anything, that they can do aviation,” said Aubri Guerrero, an aviation flight junior and a volunteer at the event. “This is to show them that it’s an option, that it’s a field open to everybody and that it’s just a lot of fun.”

Several CBU students and faculty volunteered their time to show the attendees around, answer questions about the aviation industry and demonstrate the activities.

Ariana Chavez, a CBU flight instructor, volunteered at the event, guiding attendees in the flight simulator. She said she tried to simplify the experience so the girls would not get overwhelmed by all of the buttons in the cockpit. Still, the girls were excited, she said, to be in control of the aircraft, virtually flying over their favorite places, like Disneyland.

“Most of them actually landed the simulator pretty well, I was surprised,” Chavez said. “I think they got a lot out of the experience.”

Chavez has volunteered at the annual Girls in Aviation event for several years, since she was a CBU student herself. The event first started in 2016, and Chavez says she has seen girls come through the event who eventually enroll in the aviation program at CBU.

“I’m hoping that, even if it’s not aviation, that the girls got an idea that they are capable of doing things that are more hands-on, science-y and mechanical. When I was younger, nobody ever represented that to me,” Chavez said. “The Girls in Aviation day is one of the most inspiring things of the year. I hope we can get the word out, to help grow the number of girls interested in science and interested in aviation.”

Tiana Stroncone, a senior and president of the Women in Aviation CBU chapter, was the main organizer of the event.  

“This is a career path that we all take seriously, but it is also our passion,” Stroncone said. “And to share our passion with others creates a special bond that runs deep throughout our community.”

The event was skipped last year due to COVID-19, but Stroncone said she hopes it will continue annually in the future.

“We are thankful to all our students in Women in Aviation who volunteered many hours to ensure its success,” said Dr. John Marselus, chair of the Department of Aviation Science. “We are also thankful for all the support CBU leadership supplies in events such as this.”