Wendy Hales Mora has been a professional pilot for 24 years, dedicating her time to supporting the next generation of aviators. For more than 17 years, she has served as an ambassador and program liaison for Southwest Airlines’ award-winning Adopt-A-Pilot program, which places pilots in elementary school classrooms to show students that with education and a strong set of values as their compass, they can reach their biggest dreams. In addition to her ambassador role, Wendy has served as a pilot recruiter, helping expand access and representation within aviation. Most recently, she joined the Chief Pilot team at San José State University—her alma mater—where her focus is on meeting students where they are—providing mentorship, developing experiential learning initiatives, and lowering barriers so all have access.  Her work reflects a deep commitment to turning mission into action and inspiration into lasting impact.