| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | One of my most memorable childhood experiences is from the early 2000s when my father took me to an air show on a US Navy base. The grounds were packed with dense crowds perusing food vendors, aviation memorabilia, and listening to the commentator on public address as he explained the aircraft performances throughout the day. The day's highlight was experiencing, for the first time, the Navy's Blue Angels aerobatic team put on a show that shook the stands with their powerful engines. My father spent much of his life working in aviation, and this moment stands out as one of the early events that kindled an interest in aerospace and flying. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify with my father most closely because, despite differences in generations, shared life-experiences have led me to better understand and respect him as a man. My father was in his early forties when he decided to have children, which brought with it a perspective and maturity different from that of my childhood friends’ fathers. It was not until I experienced life-events similar to his own – joining the military, a career in aviation, traveling to different countries – that I had a basis to understand his motivations, advice earned from a life well-traveled, and commitment to others. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Admiration comes in different forms, but generally I admire integrity of character, loyalty to the people close to us, and a positive vision for the future. Integrity and loyalty are necessary to create trust between people and prove that one honors and upholds their words with deeds. In my experience, people with these traits tend to have a strength in purpose that motivates others to be their best selves, working through adversity with a trusted support group towards a worthwhile goal. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | No singular incident seems appropriate, however a general ironic, humorous theme seems to intersect my life from high school on. In my youth, my parents strongly encouraged me to pursue a college degree in engineering, so that I could support myself while setting myself up on a career trajectory which would repay school debts I may have. What came to pass was different, in that my parents were not prepared to pay for the full four year required for a bachelor’s degree, and as a result, I looked for alternatives to pay for school. For a long time, my father would tell me of his time in the Army and rarely recommended it as a path to betterment for myself. When I found myself bereft of funds to continue my college education, I found that the Air Force was one of the very few organizations which would pay and train someone before they have completed a college degree. There is some irony in continuing my family's military heritage despite my father's initial misgivings, because it paid for school, training, and offered an honorable career even after I had completed my bachelor's degree, without falling into debt. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | Through work, I have been able to visit and live in Japan, Korea, and throughout the USA, which has driven my love of travel. Were money and time no object, I could spend more time exploring Asia, and despite my family history, I have not yet had the opportunity of visiting Europe. I would visit my ancestor’s village in Switzerland, see the city and countryside, and do some serious mountain climbing. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | Given the opportunity, I would pass on the best lessons I have learnt from my parents and my career in public service to set them up for success. This could mean a strong educational upbringing so they could learn to think and clearly express their ideas, and opportunities to engage with other children and their community. I would also hope to pass on experiences from my life and my family history to potentially kindle the same love for aviation as myself, father and grandfather. |
