Flying, French, and Fit – WMU has it all for Rebecca Lowe

Airlines that want their chief pilots to be able to "parlez-vous francais" on their flights to Paris or the Riviera should consider hiring Becca Lowe. 
 
In addition to majoring in aviation flight science at the Western Michigan University College of Aviation, she's a French minor who is fluent in the language and in all the wonderful, creative aspects of that nation's culture. 
 
And personally, while she regards these credentials as being quality, there is something more that future employers should consider.  Lowe, as a first-generation college student, sees herself as a role model to those who can identify with the lyrics of one of the memorable songs in "The Sound of Music" -- "Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, till you find your dream." 

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Lowe's dream is taking her to the world of aviation even though she's not quite certain what the origins of that "rainbow" are. 

Lowe hails from Aurora, Ill., the state's second largest city located about 40 miles southwest of No. 1 Chicago.  She was a member of the 2020 senior class at Waubonsie Valley High School, which offered no aviation-related classes or experiences. 
 
"I think I became interested in aviation because I have always loved to travel," the WMU junior says.  "I've been lucky to have visited some beautiful and interesting places -- Toronto, Las Vegas, Spain, Washington. I believe that I have left a piece of myself everywhere I have traveled.  Each place has meant something different to me. I guess I have always been intrigued by how airports and airplanes work." 
 
Stimulating that interest were the frequent visits to aunts who lived near Chicago's international airport.  "I would bring my camera and enjoy capturing the beauty of planes coming in to land.  I was just starting to get interested in aviation" and photographing those flying machines added to her zest for things airborne. 

Not quite certain as a teen on what path to take to reach her career goal -- again she was somewhat flying solo as a prospective first-generation college student -- Lowe said she knew higher education had to be involved "but had no idea what the process would look like or how to get there." In what turned out to be quite fortuitous, she earned college credits by taking advanced-placement courses in high school while really not fully understanding the future benefit of that decision. 

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Complementing that was the fact she made aspects of aviation the focus of school projects, such as making presentations about the Airbus in French classes and writing an essay about pilot-less planes for an English course.  "I went on a few college visits and researched what the pursuit of an aviation degree in college would look like," she says.  "Being a first-generation student and an only child, this was all new for both myself and my parents." 
 
There were tours of Chicago's Midway and O'Hare airports to observe their inner workings, her first flight in a Cessna 172, viewing Chicagoland and its skyline from the air, and an up-there jaunt along Lake Michigan to Michigan City, Ind. 
 
If her aviation plans were still somewhat up in the air, that all changed in July of 2018 when she attended a flight camp at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill.  "This week-long experience really sealed the deal for me that aviation was my career destination." 

Western's College of Aviation was not a "done deal" for Lowe.  She did visit WMU's Kalamazoo campus, but also checked out what Bowling Green State and Ohio State universities had to offer. The University of North Dakota's aviation program was also under consideration.  In the final days, she was "torn between Bowling Green and Western" with a solid selling point for the Ohio school being that its aviation program was berthed on the main campus. 
 
"However," Lowe says, "I just enjoyed WMU's campus more and felt much more intrigued by what was offered. In addition to Western being one of the best aviation programs in the country where I could get an excellent degree and learn to fly, I could also pursue a French minor, all at a just-the-right distance from home.  Ever since I arrived, I felt like I belonged here and that Western was the best fit for me." 
 
She has relished "being around like-minded individuals who are driven and have similar goals to mine," she says.  "Experienced people here want to see myself and other students succeed.  Opportunities to learn and explore are plentiful. I am 100-percent sure I made the right choice in becoming a WMU aviation student." 

The quality of Western's French classes also solidified her decision to come to Southwest Michigan.  "I have finished requirements for my minor and I am really excited about the opportunities this has given me," she says, mentioning the course in French phonetics as being her favorite.  "I have enjoyed everything I have learned and been able to do in these classes.  My great instructors have helped me expand my love of the language and of cultures worldwide." 
 
On the "major" side, Lowe cites the Private Pilot Ground School course taught by Stephen Hasenick, a College of Aviation flight instructor since 1999 who brings to his classroom airline experiences as a first officer and captain.  "He's a really fun instructor with lots of stories and innovative ways to learn the material.  The content is the basis of my aviation knowledge.  I use it to study from and will bring the content with me for years to come." 
 
An extracurricular addition to her resume is membership in the Western chapter of Women in Aviation International.  "I want to be a part of the growth of women in a male-dominated industry," she says.  "This is a really exciting time in aviation.  Even if female airline pilots are a minority now, I want to be someone who can help aviation become a career path for young women.  I really enjoyed helping out at the Girls in Aviation Day event this year.  It was huge and exciting to see how many girls were interested." 

Lowe believes her personal story can add to her Western legacy.  "Being a first-generation college student is an incredibly important part of my identity," she stressed.  "I want to set an example for future students and encourage them that, no matter where they come from, it is possible to chase their dreams and make them come true.  I am a totally different person now than I was three years ago.  I am confident, optimistic and driven.  I came into college somewhat intimidated, but also ready to be my best self. 
 
"Starting college in the non-traditional (pandemic) year of 2020 made the journey even more daunting," she says.  "I came into the aviation program knowing only a few things about the industry, but a main goal was in my mind -- airplanes are cool and I want to fly one myself.  I am really proud to say that I now know so much more than I ever could have imagined, and I am just touching the surface.  And, as a person, I have completely changed for the better." 

Lowe credits much of her metamorphosis to Western's TRIO program, a federal initiative for first-generation, income-eligible students.  With mentors part of the process, the concept is for small groups of students to work together to help improve classroom performance and provide academic, financial and career-preparation resources on the path to achieving goals. 
 
All of this, Lowe says, is helping her reach her greatest potential and thrive in a college environment.  "I used to be incredibly shy, hesitant and worried about my future and what people thought of me.  Today I have really found myself.  I am following a career path I love while learning to be on my own." 
 
TRIO wasn't a magic wand.  What it did do was give her structure and a focus.  "It's taken me longer than I expected to progress through my flight courses," she says.  "I am beginning to realize that everyone comes from a different background and is experiencing something different.  The beauty of life is that no two people will be the same or in the same situation.  I constantly remind myself that, even though I've hit a lot of roadblocks, I'm still on the right path and right where I'm supposed to be."  Any booster shot she needs comes from "Mom and Dad" who made the sacrifices along the way to launch their daughter on an unprecedented journey for their family. 

 The parents relish accounts of daughter Becca's first solo and her by-herself cross-country flight. "It means a lot to me and them," she says, "that knowledgeable and friendly people at Western believe in me and want me to succeed, even if they don't know my background." 

Lowe's short-term objective is to join Western's squadron of flight instructors to not only gain more experience as a pilot but also, as a first-generation role model, help students achieve their goals. 
 
The "dream" job is to be "a commercial airline pilot flying big jets internationally."  As an admitted lover of art in all forms -- music, drawing, painting, photography, writing and even gourmet cooking -- Lowe would greatly appreciate one destination in particular. 
 
France.  "Anything is possible if you want it enough," she says.