Mahati Potharaju (she / hers)

Who am I and what are my college and career ambitions?

I grew up as an aviation fanatic with roots in engineering. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum was my home, and Amelia Earhart and Astronaut Kalpana Chawla were my inspirations. My aviation dream set in motion when I attended my first Young Eagles Event as a starry-eyed 15-year-old in the summer of 2019. After my first discovery flight, I grabbed every opportunity that hung close and afar to fulfill my dream of obtaining my private pilots license and circumnavigating the globe. With the privilege of attending Purdue University, which my alumni Mary Ellen Weber also attended, the core tenets of my aerospace education rely on two schools of thought – the militaristic pilot’s ‘check-list’ brain and the hands-on ‘trial and error’ algorithm. My unique upbringing in India allowed me to stay close to my roots but also soar high in the American skies with the intuitiveness of a mechanic. These distinctive qualities make me honored to receive the AYEF scholarship. I can assemble a completely new design iteration for an aircraft while dealing with an engine failure at the same time!

Why am I passionate about aviation?

I was 8 years old when I got to meet Mary Ellen Weber for the first time. I stared at the screen in wonder as she showed a video of her curls bouncing around in zero-gravity. I clutched at my frizzy dark curls that were unfortunately bound by Earth physics. Space was my ultimate goal no matter what, but my journey was going to be very unique considering my country, as there were meager opportunities for getting involved in Aerospace engineering and aviation. From then on, any extracurricular activity or school subject I did was done while keeping my larger than life goal in mind. I exercised and played with friends to get ‘fit’ enough to live on the ISS, practiced singing to potentially give a space concert, and even started training to become a private pilot. If there wasn’t going to be an opportunity, I was going to create one. Good fortune allowed me one summer trip to the U.S.A where I began my free training under a merit scholarship. I was sweating bullets in the cockpit of a Cessna 172 on a humid day as my flight instructor tossed my emergency checklist into the backseat. He ‘pulled-out’ the throttle of the overly heated engine and, in a commanding tone, howled out “engine failed, now land the aircraft”. I was 100s of feet above a corn field before I could pull up. This very real and terrifying experience taught me that a pilot’s life is not just a series of checklists, but an attitude you have to carry at all times. I believe that the pilot’s way of thinking is an incredible asset to my personality, as my impulsiveness can only be tamed with a checklist.

As an aspiring pilot, what are some tips I’ve learned that I’d like to share?

Try to listen to the sound of the engines rumbling on either side of the aircraft right when they start running – often, you can notice the constant vibration and tell if something’s wrong with the aircraft in the first few seconds. Onto the topic of food and drink, your senses are affected by the lower pressure at high altitudes. My go-to foods are extremely acidic, and my absolute favorite concoction is mixing ginger-ale and tomato juice. Lastly, my biggest travel tradition is giving the aircraft a little pat right before I enter – this is when I make sure to read the serial number which is on the side of the door. It’s something my dad has been doing since I was little, and I like to continue family traditions.

Why should companies should hire more women and people of color?

This is an easy one. Because it’s boring not to hire more women and people of color. I get excited when I see employee resource groups that have people who have different experiences than me, and it’s amazing to see them balance all sorts of unique lives whilst contributing to the same project.