From Education To Aviation An Entrepreneur From The Bahamas Is Making Moves

 

   When thinking of The Bahamas, we think of an elegant tourist attraction with deep blue oceans and tan sands. Rarely mention the people of this island. Andrea Wood is a woman from The Bahamas and a jack of all trades. Not only in the Bahamas; but here in the US as well.

 Born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas, Wood-Wilson moved to the US in 1996 and pursued college. She obtained a bachelor's degree at Fort Valley State in Middle Grades Education and another at Middle Georgia State University. However, she got a master's at the online school Walden University. While in The Bahamas, she had begun her start in modeling through her adolescent and teen years. 

That was when she first became introduced to beauty.  A self-described tomboy as a child. In 2010 Andrea joined a body-positive organization called Curvy Alliance in Georgia. “I had an extremely active role as a brand ambassador; I became involved in photoshoots, fashion shows, and the creative process behind it all.”  

Combining her experiences and hustle from current and past endeavors, Andrea launched a mentoring organization for girls . Wood states. “iMPAK Mentoring ARTS consisted primarily of girls and mainly of girls. I started in 2008-2010. Arts went from acting, dancing, and branching into sports, science, technology and the social needs of teens." The curriculum for this mentorship includes education to  peer pressure. Through mentoring, she gained inspiration from her students. “They made me self-reflect on what I've been doing; they encourage me to follow my dreams," says Andrea.

Andrea encouraged students to follow their dreams. She soon followed her advice. 

Andrea self-reflected on what she's been doing and pursued her aviation career. She recently graduated with her Bachelor Of Science in Aviation Management. 

Soon after, she launched Adventure Youth Aviation Club in 2018, an interactive organization, a hands-on learning experience for both boys and girls. 

Children are taught about piloting, including controls, stimulation, and how weather affects flying.  "When I met my business associate, he had his mentoring organization, Hopeville Boys Center, which provided services to boys."

Wood-Wilson along with her associate were in aviation school. In 2018,  Wood-Wilson and her business partner founded Adventure Youth Aviation Club due to a strong desire to introduce more kids to aviation.

As an educator with students in The US and The Bahamas, Wood-Wilson states,” I think home communicates American influence still remains present. Protocols should be the same as the Bahamas follows the same guidelines as the U.S. that the FAA sets. “In The Bahamas, slight adjustments are made due to land features. Our industry is highly dependent on aviation, but unlike the US, we do not have well-established programs for developing it. “It is easier to maneuver and less competitive as a business owner.” Although all her students have remarkable perseverance, she is getting more youth in aviation.

“I aim to continue aviation so that kids can see flight career as an option.” 

“These experiences would be impossible if I remained home.” Though Wood-Wilson resides in Georgia, culture and home are still connected to her. She adds, “As a member of Atlanta Junkanoo Group, I am part of my culture and can express that joyfulness to others.” Hearing other stories is much more than walking in listen to tor shoes. We can hear their experience, but feeling those experiences is closer to heart. 

" I love being Caribbean American, and it's like having the best of both worlds. I can embrace my culture while experiencing someone else. It is a nice mixture infusing all of it together." - Andrea Wood                   

https://linktr.ee/AndreaWoodWilson