March is Women’s History Month, and SkyWest is excited to celebrate the stories of some of our incredible people.
Jessica T. – DEN Captain ERJ
Living near a small airport inspired Captain Jessica to make a career change.
“I always saw the planes flying around. I went for a discovery flight, and I was absolutely hooked on aviation and flying,” Captain Jessica said.
She picked up flying as a hobby and enrolled in flight school planning to become a flight instructor to afford more flight time. When she met instructors that went on to join SkyWest, Captain Jessica knew she wanted to follow that path.
“It was just such a good opportunity to try to make that happen,” Captain Jessica said. “I was a single mom, so I moved back home with my family to make SkyWest work. My parents were fantastic and just helped me make that dream come true.”
Captain Jessica loves being a pilot because there is variety in every shift. She has learned to rely on her team in the flight deck, cabin, and on the ground to excel each day.
“Everyone at the company has been extremely supportive and understanding,” Captain Jessica said. “SkyWest has always had a good support system. The company gives us the tools that we need to make decisions. They take the time to talk through things with you. They’ve made an effort to make the job a lot easier for us.”
Captain Jessica said it’s SkyWest’s people and culture that have kept her here for 20 years and inspired her to step into leadership roles.
“I remember when I went down to my chief pilot’s office to tell him that I was thinking about applying to be a line check airman, he said, ‘Why do you want to be a line check airman?’ I told him, ’We’re growing as an airline, and I want to be there to carry forward the culture as we bring in a lot of new life.’”
Scarlett O.S. – PSP Mechanic II
Growing up, Scarlett saw her mom as Superwoman. With her example, Scarlett knew she could accomplish anything, including following her passion to become an aircraft mechanic.
“She’s a single mom and she was providing for us on her own,” Scarlett said. “Seeing her handle that gave me the confidence to go for it.”
At SkyWest, Scarlett has found a welcoming environment that has allowed her to succeed.
“I was extremely nervous just coming into the field as a woman,” Scarlett said. “It’s intimidating. I was kind of expecting to have some strange experiences, but I haven’t. Everyone was welcoming. If I had questions or needed help with anything, they were more than happy to do that, and it was a judgment-free zone. I love all the opportunities that we get to continue advancing.”
Scarlett was also pleased to see a female lead mechanic, another great example of women successfully pursuing her field.
“It gave me a boost,” Scarlett said. “It felt nice to see someone in an elite position. She’s been a good mentor for me.”
Phally H. – DFW Flight Attendant
Growing up, Phally had a neighbor who was a flight attendant. She would watch her heading off to work, dressed professionally, and carrying her suitcases. One day, Phally asked her what she did and her neighbor told her she was a flight attendant.
“I didn’t know what it was,” Phally said. “She explained it to me as a kid and I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do when I grow up.’”
Phally was able to achieve this dream because of the sacrifices her mother, Pring Aik, made. She came to the United States to give her family a better life after going through war in Cambodia.
“My mother is my mentor, guide, hero, and every term possible,” Phally said. “I wouldn’t be here without her going through the war in Cambodia and getting us here safely. Also, giving us the opportunity to go to school, study, and become who we want to be in the future.”
Pring and other family members instilled values in Phally that have made her a successful flight attendant.
“They taught me great work ethic and the determination to always do things to the best of my ability and beyond, never shortcutting anything,” Phally said. “Me going into this field just kind of enhanced what my mom, parents, uncles, and aunts have taught me throughout the years: Work hard and you will achieve whatever you want in life.”
Phally sees these values in many of the women she works with at SkyWest.
“They’re dedicated. They’re loyal. They do everything that is expected and more,” Phally said. “Their hard work and work ethic are what I’m inspired by.”
Phally has also appreciated the leaders at SkyWest who have mentored her throughout her time in the skies.
“Our leaders are fantastic. They mold you and help you grow,” Phally said. “One, in particular, has been a huge positive role model to me. She’s very private and I have the utmost love and respect for her. She’s a huge inspiration in my life and comparable to my mom at how influential she is to me.”
People like that have made this job the perfect fit for Phally.
“I absolutely love the company and love the people I work with,” Phally said. “The flexibility of our job, the mentorship, and all the different departments that I’ve been able to work with, spoken to, or even asked help with, just overall are hands-down amazing.”
Lexci L. – ORD Mechanic III
After seeing what her future might look like at a desk job, Lexci knew she wanted to do something else. In high school, she especially enjoyed hands-on classes like welding and woodshop. With the help of her mom, a former flight attendant, Lexci decided to pursue aircraft maintenance
“I always knew that I wanted to fix things, work on things, and get my hands dirty,” Lexci said.
After about three years at SkyWest, Lexci is qualified to work on almost everything as a mechanic. She loves the variety she experiences at work every day.
“There’s just always a lot to offer, and I like that there’s always something new to work on cause it’s never the same old thing with planes,” Lexci said.
When she arrived at the SkyWest maintenance base in Chicago, Lexci was the only woman there, but she felt welcomed and has forged great friendships. Now, she’s helped bring new hires, including other women, at the base up to speed, even spending some time as a lead.
“I really get along well with a lot of my coworkers,” Lexci said. “They are like a second family to me.”
Noelle S. – DEN First Officer ERJ
Noelle aspired to be an airline pilot as a kid but didn’t know anyone working in the industry. After researching her next step out of high school, Noelle settled on Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She credits the aviation program there with setting her up for success.
“When I started out, I didn’t know anything about aviation,” Noelle said. “Their main focus was to introduce the airline world to brand new pilots, and that was super helpful.”
When Noelle was looking at regionals to apply for, SkyWest became an obvious choice.
“Everyone that I talked to, who was at SkyWest, seemed to love it,” Noelle said. “I wanted to be a part of that.”
Noelle says it’s the people and culture at SkyWest that have made this job so enjoyable for her. Flights with all-women crews have also been a particular highlight for Noelle.
“It’s really cool because it doesn’t happen very often to get an all-female crew, but when it does, it’s pretty special, and we usually will take a picture,” Noelle said.
Noelle recognizes the women that paved the way for her to have her dream career.
“It’s important to recognize all of the women that have come before so that I could live my dream,” Noelle said.
Allison Z. – OKC Mechanic II
For Allison, being an aircraft mechanic is a family thing. Her dad worked for Boeing for decades, which started Allison’s fascination with aircraft. He showed her planes at his job and took her to air shows.
When it came time to figure out what to do after high school, Allison naturally decided to become an aircraft mechanic.
“I wasn’t interested in being a pilot,” Allison said. “I loved working with my hands to the point where I just wanted to be a mechanic and actually work on the airplanes.”
It didn’t happen right away, but Allison found her way to aviation.
Allison’s family is her biggest supporter, with her parents helping her find and succeed in her career.
“They’re both very proud of me,” Allison said.
