Page 65 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2025

Breaking Barriers
Nicolle Stanfill is
rewriting the rules of who
belongs in the cockpit—
proving the sky isn’t just
for the boys. For her,
flying was a family affair
long before it became
a calling. “My dad’s a
general aviation pilot—
I’ve been flying with him all my life,” she said.
In 2023, she turned childhood wonder into wings, earning her certifications and becoming a flight instructor. “I’m lucky—I don’t sit under fluorescent lights all day,” she said. “My office is the Mississippi Sound, the beaches... It’s beautiful.”
To young women eyeing the sky, she offers both honesty and encouragement. “Don’t let the doubters stop you. I used to think I couldn’t fly because I was a girl, or because I wore glasses. But it’s not true. It’s never true. Women are the best pilots in the world.”
Nicolle Stanfifill.
Allison Lensink.
A Childhood Dream Becomes a Flight Path
“My view never gets old—it’s the best office in the world,” said Allison Lensink, pilot and flight instructor.
Lensink’s journey began in
the cabin, working for Delta in
various roles, including as a flight
attendant. A chance encounter
with a Southwest pilot led her to
a flight school in Ocean Springs. Later, a stranger in an airport challenged her to finish her license—and that was all the motivation she needed.
Since then, she’s earned her private pilot certificate, her CFI, and every rating in between. She’s now in Delta’s pilot program, preparing to fly with the regional carrier Endeavor.
“And teaching others? Watching them succeed is just as incredible,” she said. “It’s all come full circle.”
To every girl who’s ever looked up and wondered—these women are proof that wonder can take wing. The path is steep, the skies unpredictable, but the reward. Soaring.
“I’m a pilot,” they all say—and say it with pride. The skies are wide open. The learning never ends. But neither does the view.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
September 2025 | 65