LESLIE NAVA
High School: I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
When Leslie Nava envisions her future, her eyes are set on the sky. Her hard work, determination, and engineering interests early on introduced her to the wonders of aviation. Moved by the thrill of flight, Leslie set her sights on aviation and aerospace engineering after attending a Women in Aviation International event in Dallas, Texas. There and at meetings of Ninety-Nine International – the international organization for women pilots — she met various mentors who had dedicated their lives to careers in aviation and who have guided her in her own career.
As a young networker, she was met with the opportunity to volunteer at the Vintage Flying Museum. Every Saturday, Leslie rolls up her sleeves as a part of a team of volunteers working to restore Jacqueline Cochran’s, former director of the civilian Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), Super 18 Beech Model E18S-9700 with the aim of seeing it on display once again.
In addition to her volunteer work at the Vintage Flying Museum, Leslie dedicates herself to growing her knowledge in engineering and aviation through her extracurriculars. She has participated in VEX Robotics where she has served as engineering notebook lead and now Co-captain. Additionally, she has dedicated her time to the Air Force Cyberpatriots program, is a coordinator and vice president for her school’s chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and has participated in the Latina STEM Fellowship summer program for the past two summers. This is all on top of her exceptional academics at her STEM-focused school where she maintains a 4.0 GPA while taking multiple advanced placement classes, serves as a member of her student government, senior class president, and student pilot.
Most recently, Leslie expanded her impact by successfully creating and hosting the first-ever STEM workshop at her school, giving middle schoolers hands-on experience with STEM activities and career preparation tips. Furthermore, her passion for aviation history led her to win 1st place in the National History Fair for regions with her project "Women in Air: Representation Creates Possibilities," advancing her to states in Austin, Texas. Leslie's exceptional work has also earned her the Roger W. Kahn Scholarship from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and she will be traveling to Washington D.C. to attend the 2024 AIAA Awards Gala at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Timothy Brendler, Post-Secondary Success Specialist at the I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA, sung her praises, stating: “The world is in dire need of strong, creative, and empathetic leaders like Leslie, and I anxiously look forward to seeing and hearing about the many ways she will make a positive impact on the world we live in. Teachers are fortunate enough to come across one student like Leslie in their entire teaching career.”
As a Latina, Leslie sees the underrepresentation of women who look like her across higher education but especially in STEM fields. Leslie is shattering her family’s glass ceiling as a first-generation college student. Her experiences working alongside her parents in demanding physical labor gave her the discipline and motivation to excel in school and set her eyes to the sky in spite of her family’s socioeconomic challenges.
Continuing her ascension, this fall, Leslie will begin her studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where she plans to major in aerospace engineering and minor in aviation.
