“A person never truly dies until their spirit is completely forgotten and the last person who they’ve touched has perished. So long as we continue to keep the spirit alive, it continues to serve the world.” – Jarard Paige, J. Elliot Marketing
Serving the World by Paying It Forward
In 2012, J. Elliot Marketing in partnership with Women in Aviation International (WAI) announced the $2,500 Christine Reed Memorial Flight Scholarship. Christine passed away before she was able to reach her dream of becoming a private pilot. So to keep her spirit alive, J. Elliot Marketing offers an annual scholarship to women ages 16-30 who have already soloed and are working towards their initial pilot certificate.
Meet Kiegham Broney – 2021 Scholarship Recipient
In January 2021, the ninth scholarship recipient was selected – Ms. Kiegham Broney (Maple Ridge, BC) – a tenacious and determined woman with a passion for life and achievement that radiates through her words and her community.
At age 15, something inside Kiegham told her that the path she was on was not going to lead to her dreams. So she redesigned her life around her ultimate goal – to fly – something she felt in her bones from a very early age. Now, just a few years later, she’s become a manager in her professional field, an Assistant Hockey Coach in her community, and is now a few steps away from becoming a Private Pilot. From a childhood with limited opportunities and experiences, she set herself on a mission to pursue all of her dreams in adulthood. Take a moment to hear what else she has in store and how she also hopes to pave the way for others.
In many ways, aviation has been your savior and your guiding light. How did it come to have such a large impact on your life?
My love for flying began when I was taken to all the air shows at the Pitt Meadows airport (YPK) in British Columbia, Canada, as a child in the early 2000s. I remember very vividly sitting in the miniature size airplane-train full of children. It was always a fight between me and my mom getting me to leave at the end of the day. Ever since that period, I look up at the sky at every plane flying by, no matter what it is – a Cessna, a Boeing 747. I love it all. I have known since I was shorter than the desk I study on now, that this was something I have always wanted to pursue.
Sometimes I even get nostalgia when I go to the airports to this day, even though I may not be flying at the time. I did not have a wonderful childhood, but when I went to the airport as a child, it gave me stress relief. It was an outlet. It made me forget about everything going on in my life at home, and it made me happy.
Also, I love to disconnect from the world. Is there a better way to do that than doing it in a plane? There’s just something about leaving the ground and seeing it from the sky.
Now that you’ve been awarded the scholarship, how might it help you to achieve your dreams?
With my life circumstances, I have to support myself throughout my entire aviation journey. With this scholarship, it will help me complete my Private Pilot License. I am currently in preparation for my flight test and knowledge exam! My dreams are to become a commercial pilot and experience flying in Northern Canada. While I am there, I would also like to explore options of flying for the Royal Canadian Air Force or possibly going overseas. There are endless amounts of opportunities with aviation!
Tell us about the day you soloed and the emotions that ran through you as you realized this first major step in your aviation journey.
I remember I cried on the way home after I got to solo for the first time. I have seriously worked so hard to get to where I am today and it did not even feel real. I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t sure I was ready, but I went up for a few circuits with my instructor at the time, then suddenly he said, “We need to land,” then he told ATC on landing “Papa Alpha Kilo, instructor jumping out for student’s first solo.” I celebrated with Canadian Champagne by myself that night.
What’s the most exciting life moment you experienced that strongly impacted your interest in aviation?
In late January 2021, I got to do my solo-cross country from Abbotsford -> Chilliwhack -> Pitt Meadows -> Sechelt -> Pitt Meadows and back to Abbotsford for my 150nm trip. Flying myself over Vancouver felt like I was making a childhood dream come true. It really made me feel like everything I am working toward is becoming more and more real. It’s exciting. I can’t wait for more!
You also mentioned that you “love the constant challenges and changes associated with flying.” What’s been one of the most challenging aspects your flight training and how has it prepared you to be a better pilot?
I’m pretty hard on myself on a good day of the week. It’s only because I strive to be better; to adapt and overcome. I have to remember that even though something may seem difficult to comprehend, that if I keep trying at it, I know that I will grasp it. Just never give up. I can do anything I set my mind to.
What would you say to someone who feels that all odds at stacked against them and that they have no reason to pursue their dreams?
I know the feeling of standing on the edge of emptiness. At age fifteen, I was on the verge of being a high school dropout. Yet, for a variety of reasons, I decided that I really wanted to do two things – play hockey and fly planes. After a series of meetings with my high school counselor, the owner of a local hockey academy, and others, I was able to change my life trajectory. In a few short years, I ended up graduating on-time, with honors, and also became an Assistant Coach at the hockey academy.
You have to fight the inner battle of you telling yourself that you cannot do something. Never give up on a dream. Never stop trying. If you don’t try, you won’t go anywhere. It has a lot to do with mindset. You have to evolve. Challenge yourself. Most successful people have gone through a tremendous amount of setbacks. Everybody does. Don’t compare your rate of success to those around you. Everyone works at different paces. Stick to what’s important: pursing YOUR dreams.
For those in Women in Aviation, feel free to connect with me through their mentorship program if you would like some motivation or just someone to chat to about your experience!
If you could look ahead 10 years and list all of the accomplishments you wish to achieve (both in an and out of the cockpit), what would you list?
In the next 10 years (in no particular order), I want to:
- Fly for an airline
- Get aerobatic rating
- Do some part-time studies to mix a career of law enforcement with flying or join RCAF
- Learn a new language (Russian, Ukrainian, etc)
- Encourage and be involved with women in aviation and the 99s – give back in scholarships to those who had to “adapt & overcome” like myself – who had to overcome adversity in their life to pursue their dream.
- Travel the world (starting in Europe or New Zealand)
- Buy a home (and one of Elon Musk’s Tesla cars) just to show myself I can do anything I set my mind to.
Kiegham surely has a lot on her plate and J. Elliot Marketing is proud to have her as the 9th recipient of the Christine Reed Memorial Flight Scholarship. By helping others reach their dreams, J. Elliot Marketing keeps Christine’s spirit alive. Perhaps this minor step serves to inspire others to think of ways they can share their passions with the world and find ways to pay it forward.
J. Elliot Marketing has had the pleasure of helping numerous clients plot the best course to achieve their goals. These clients have included: