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The Life of Amelia Earhart
Bethany K. Crumley
School of Aeronautics, Liberty University
AVIA 102: Aviation Foundation
Professor Spahr
November 3, 2024
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The Life of Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart changed history by accomplishing the achievement of flying solo in
the Atlantic as the first woman. The journey to making a legacy all started when she was born
on July 24th, 1897, in Kansas. Throughout her life, she was always known to be an adventurous
child who loved to explore. At this time, it was strange for girls to play sports, but Amelia loved
this activity. She was raised mainly by her grandparents who allowed her to continue with her
curious character and follow her interests, which only benefitted her for years to come.
A big moment in Amelia's childhood was seeing the Wright brothers flying their planes in
1908. Watching those planes set off a passionate dream of becoming a pilot. The experience
remained close in her heart as she grew up, seeming to mold the winds of her life. In 1915,
Amelia graduated from Hyde Park High School in Chicago and was prepared to proceed further
into the next stages of her journey.
Life for Amelia was not without its struggles such as her father’s unemployment.
Although at that time it proved to be difficult for the family, Amelia was set on going to college
and accomplishing her goals. Throughout school she proved herself to be a hardworking
individual from the very start. To find inspiration Amelia created a scrapbook consisting of only
photographs of women who had risen to fame in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Following World War I, Amelia felt a calling to help others. This led to her volunteering as
a nurse, caring for injured soldiers, many of whom were pilots themselves. Their stories and
experiences, drew out a more closer connection to aviation for Amelia. Listening to the advice
and involvement they offered, she began to feel more eager to continue pursuing the dreams of
flying.
A moment that forever changed Amelia’s life was in 1920 when she took her first
airplane ride. During the takeoff the plane soared into the sky, Amelia felt a thrill of excitement
unlike anything she had felt before. Later, she proclaimed, "By the time I had got two or three
hundred feet off the ground, I knew I had to fly" (Iodice, 2019, p. 230). This ride showed
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Amelia that flying was her true calling and only strengthened her dreams of becoming a pilot.
Amelia did not at all allow societies expectation to get in the way of her dreams. In 1921,
she became a licensed pilot. Such big achievements, as she was only the few woman’s to have
ever done this. The interest in flying push her to take a position in supporting women’s in
aviation. She helped founded the Ninety Nines, a club for female pilots that promoted greater
involvement of woman in this field. The club provided networking, mentoring, and scholarship
opportunities for woman pilots. It also played a significant role in the professional promotion of
its members. Through this organization, Earhart’s worked hard to create a supportive
community where women could share about their experiences, challenges and triumphs in
aviation or life. She believed by uniting woman in this field, they could encourage one another
and together advocate for the changes needed to grow their credibility as pilots.
Moreover, in 1932, Amelia overcame a big obstacle by becoming the first woman the fly
solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The journey towards this was not without its challenges,
which include exhaustion, icy conditions, and even a leaky fuel tank. Against all these odds, she
completed the flight in about 15 hours, proving a great skill of resilience. By surpassing the
barriers set by a male-dominated industry, Earhart was able to inspire generations of female
aviators to pursue their dreams in aviation. Some people thought that women were incapable of
flying a plane, but with this success made they were forced to reconsider their decision. Later
on, with the help of Earhart and other historical women figures gender equality was created in
most professions.
The legacy of Amelia Earhart is so much more than her ability to flying; it a story of
gender equality and overcoming barriers. Woman in fields such as science, technology,
engineering, aviation, and mathematics always look to her for sources of hope. Amelia held the
passion for aviation close to her heart which helped woman know that anything is possible. Her
story is not only a milestone in history but also a tale for all woman around the world that there
is no boundaries on aspirations.
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People were inspired by Amelia success as noted by Conley (2021), “Her bravery to take
to the skies and do what no one had done before serves as the best example of this
commitment.” History is forever going to be a part of Amelia’s story, a stance toward the power
of ambition and courage in the face of adversity.
Amelia Earhart's life is the stuff of a legend that involves the power of ambition, courage,
and exploration. She will forever continue to inspire countless people, reminding them the
importance of chasing one’s dream without any hesitation or fear. Amelia made a way for
women’s right, stand for hope and courage, all this has placed her in history as a trailblazer
forever.
References
Conley, K. (2021). Amelia Earhart. (1st ed.). ABDO Publishing Company.
Iodice, E. (2019). The Passion to Fly and to the Courage to Lead: The Saga of Amelia Earhart--
Leading Women into Flight. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 12(2).
