Kimberly Anyadike

Kimberly Ndidi Anyadike (born February 1, 1994) is an American pilot from Compton, California. In 2009, at the age of 15, she became the youngest African American woman to complete a transcontinental flight across the United States, from Los Angeles, California to Newport News, Virginia. Anyadike was accompanied by an adult safety pilot, and by a retired Air Force pilot who had served with the WWII Tuskegee Airmen. Her plane was autographed by about 50 Tuskegee airmen as she stopped at different cities across the US, and she completed the round-trip journey in a single-engine Cessna 172 in 13 days.

In 2015, Anyadike received the first Young Aviator's Award from the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of her achievements. In 2016, she graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with an undergraduate degree.

Early life Born in 1994, Anyadike grew up in Compton, California. She has an older brother and sister. and their surname Anyadike means "eye of the warrior" in the Igbo language.

Anyadike took dance lessons at the Lula Washington Dance Academy, served as a junior lifeguard at Venice Beach for five years, and volunteered as a youth leader at her local church. She was inspired to take lessons after reading about Jonathan Strickland, an earlier participant of the program who became the youngest person to fly a fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter solo in a single day. She wanted to inspire other youth, while also honouring the Tuskegee Airmen, an African-American air combat unit that served during World War II. In Washington, D.C., Congresswoman Laura Richardson came to congratulate the young pilot, and in Tuskegee, Alabama, Mayor Omar Neal proclaimed July 2 to be "Kimberly Anyadike Day". During stops in different cities, Anyadike's plane was autographed by about 50 different Tuskegee Airmen. Anyadike is considered the youngest black American woman — and possibly the youngest person of any race or gender — to have successfully piloted a plane coast-to-coast across the United States.

College education For her college education, Anyadike enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), majoring in physiological science with minors in African-American studies and Spanish. During her senior year, she was also working as a registered emergency medical technician, and was volunteering for her local chapter of the Flying Samaritans to bring medical care to Tijuana, Mexico. When asked about future aspirations, Anyadike has said that she plans to enroll in medical school and become a cardiovascular surgeon. In interviews, Anyadike has said that a friendly rivalry with Kelly helped inspire her to complete her own piloting achievements.