Camp Woodland Blog

I had the pleasure of interviewing Isabella Scarpelli recently about her journey to pursue flight school at Southern Illinois University where she is currently in her second year. Isabella spent 6 years as a Woodland camper/CIT and has been on staff for 2 years so far (we hope she is able to come back for many more!). Isabella is extremely versatile when it comes to teaching activities and this summer was found helping out at Farm Zoo or the barn and assisting in swimming or canoeing. The activity she is most known for; however, happens at the Rec Hall every 4th hour. Isabella is a superstar when it comes to rewriting and directing plays for each 2-week session! The final show, “Clue” was a true testimony to her amazing talents (along with co-director, Lizzy Germann).

I invite you to jump into the interview with me:

The Spark to Soar: what drew Isabella to aviation 

As many high school students often find, there are moments of freaking out during junior year because it is hard to land on the one thing you are interested in enough to want to spend the next 4 years studying/doing that thing. Isabella went down a list of possibilities, thought about it a lot, and was intrigued by aviation as a potential career.

She did some research and felt that she could be successful in that environment and decided to give it a try. Isabella likes to be in motion whether in a car, plane, or boat, and has never been afraid of flying (a definite plus!). She was pretty set on that path once she made up her mind that was what she wanted to do (not to say that she didn’t have her moments of doubt before actually landing at SIU). 

Isabella also shared that she still has her moments of uncertainty, and she is able to ground herself knowing that she is surrounded by others in the same boat (or plane!) and is able to get perspectives and support from fellow students and instructors. Isabella is actually pursuing TWO degrees – one in flying and the other in aviation management.

Isabella finds herself taking classes such as Current Aviation Management Practices (what’s happening in the industry right now), Aviation Writing and Communication (writing about industry trends), and Aviation Weather (always good to know visibility, wind speed and direction, and other details that can affect your flight). She completed the stage check for her first flight course and has started on the next one. Isabella is currently halfway finished with the requirements needed to get her Private Pilots License.

From Camp to Cockpit: skills that are coming in handy in flight school

The biggest skill for Isabella is focus. She offered that it comes natural to her as she gets very locked in and focused once she is in flight mode. When she steps onto the airfield, Isabella can’t think about anything else. She is 100% “all in.” Once on the ground, it always strikes Isabella how focused she was leading up to and throughout the flight.

Because Isabella values being places on time and timeliness, this helps her wade through the long list of things she needs to get done on a daily basis. She recognizes this as part of the importance of being professional whether at camp, in the classroom, or cockpit. 

Being flexible is another skill that serves Isabella well. As a camper and counselor, Isabella is very used to how things out of your control (the weather!) can change up the daily schedule and routine. It is no different with her schedule and instructor, there are always unexpected turns and twists with how they meet up and how things get done. 

On top of focus, timeliness, and flexibility, Isabella has a strong work ethic. She spent 2 months at camp, transitioned to school at the bottom tip of Illinois in 10 days, began a full load of classes, and started a part-time job working at Starbucks.

Calm in the Clouds: flying can be so unpredictable and remaining calm under pressure is extremely important! 

There are definitely times that it gets stressful while in the air. Isabella shared that she got lost once or twice while in the practice area and didn’t know where she was to get back. It is easy to get disoriented, so in that situation, the first step is to admit to the instructor that she was lost. Easier said than done; however, the sooner that happens, the quicker things get figured out and she was back on her way to reorienting and knowing where she was. 

Other stressful situations while in the clouds is choosing the right point on land to do a maneuver off and choosing a field to make an emergency landing. This is where Isabella calls on her focus to stay calm and not get rattled or distracted.

Teamwork That Travels: both camp and aviation require strong teamwork and communication 

While Isabella has flown solo, the majority of her time in the air is spent with an instructor. She has made the comparison that communicating with her instructor in a lot of ways is like communicating with her co-counselor at camp. In order to make things happen such as takeoff, change course, or land, it is imperative to have seamless communication with the person sharing the cockpit with you. At camp, in order to take the best care of your campers or to teach an activity with another staff member, communication and collaboration are key.

Advice to Future Dreamers: wisdom from Isabella’s journey to pass along

Isabella believes that listening to and knowing and being honest with yourself is where it starts. When she began exploring options and aviation as a possible path, she would ask herself if it was realistic that she was going to succeed or not. Isabella also encourages trying out a lot of different things as she is currently doing to see what else you might like. She went to boat club mainly for sailing and she finds herself gravitating towards activities involving nature (both are missed from her days at camp!). As mentioned previously, Isabella likes to drive, and she is currently working on getting a boating license.

Isabella also recognizes that being with different groups of people helps you branch out into areas that you might not normally try. She is considering joining a shooting club that offers a variety of experiences other than the rifles she became accustomed to at Woodland. Isabella is also becoming more involved in things around aviation such as women in aviation and rush for an aviation business fraternity.

From Camp to Career: come join us! If you are or know an emerging leader who is wanting to explore personal and professional skill development, we invite you to let us know HERE (first time staff members) or RETURN staff (have been on staff at least one previous summer).