in our own
words
persistence And potentiAl:
it All pAYs oFF
t
his May, I graduated from the CUNY Aviation Institute at York College with my Bachelors of Science in Aviation Man-
DaySi manZanO
agement. In the meantime, I am waiting for a possible intern-
ship with JetBlue Airways. I owe this opportunity to the 2010 International Women in
Aviation Conference. My first WAI Conference was in February of 2009. It was the best
motivating and learning experience I had ever had as a young
woman in the aviation field. To be in a room with more than
2,000 aviation professionals was exciting and inspiring.
When I came back from that first
WAI Conference I shared my expe-
rience with classmates, professors,
family members and everyone else.
the general manager of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Amer-
ica’s Aircraft Product Support Division. During my con-
versation with Mr. Takayama, I put in action what I had
learned from speaking to Mr.
Hodge. Mr. Takayama and I
spoke about the chapter’s goal
and he introduced me to Mr. Tom
Berscheidt, President of Turbine
Aircraft Services, Inc., located in
Texas. I spoke to Mr. Berscheidt
about our goals and followed up
with an e-mail. I sent my proposal
and a couple of days later I was in-
formed that Turbine Aircraft Servic-
es, Inc. would help with some of the
hotel expenses. I shared all of this
news with the Director of the CUN Y
Aviation Institute at York College, Dr. Robert I. Aceves, and I
asked him for his support. He then told me that the CUNY Avia-
tion Institute would cover the rest of the hotel expenses.
Airline tickets, Conference registration and hotel expenses
were paid by different sponsors. The 16 students and one fac-
ulty were responsible for food and transportation. That was a
small price to pay for the opportunities we had as a result of
the 2010 International Women in Aviation Conference.
We met interesting people in the industry, including pio-
neer mechanic Mary Feik during a tour to “Fantasy of Flight.”
During World War II Ms. Feik became an expert on military
research and development in the Air Technical Service Com-
mand’s Engineering Division at Wright Field in Ohio. She is
an inspiration.
My experiences in organizing this trip have taught me that
you should take every opportunity you are given to share
your goals and ask for advice. Equally important, as Mr.
Hodge always says, “be politely persistent.” And always be-
lieve in your potential. ✈
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Daysi Manzano
(WAI #41676)
is a graduate of the City University
of New York (CUNY) Aviation Institute at York College and the
founding president of the Women in Aviation/York College Chapter.
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