OVERCAME A FEAR OF FLYING TO BE
THE FIRST LATINA AEROBATIC
PILOT.
>> SO I WAS AFRAID OF JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING.
I WAS AFRAID OF HEIGHTS.
CERTAINLY I WAS AFRAID OF
FLYING.
I WAS EVEN AFRAID OF GETTING IN
AN ELEVATOR.
>> Reporter: CECILIA ARAGON
OVERCAME SEVERAL PHOBIAS TO
BECOME A SOLO PILOT IN THE
MID-’80s.
IN THE SPAN OF SIX YEARS, THE
FIRST LATINA ON THE U.S.
AEROBATICS TEAM.
>> I WAS THE LAST PERSON ANYBODY
WOULD HAVE PREDICTED THAT I
WOULD LEARN TO FLY A SMALL
AIRPLANE.
>> Reporter: ONCE A SHY GIRL WHO
EXCELLED IN MATH, CECILIA WAS
RAISED IN THE MIDWEST BY A
FILIPINO MOTHER AND CHILEAN
FATHER.
AS A LITTLE GIRL SHE WAS BULLIED
AND TEACHERS DISMISSED HER.
>> IT MADE ME THINK THAT MAYBE
THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH
ME.
>> Reporter: SELF-DOUBT AND FEAR
OF FAILURE CONTINUED INTO HER
20s.
BUT A TURNING POINT CAME IN
1985.
ONE WEEK INTO HER JOB AS A
SILICON VALLEY SOFTWARE
DEVELOPER.
>> I WAS SAYING NO TO EVERYTHING
NEW AND JUST DOING KIND OF THE
MINIMUM I COULD TO GET BY.
AND MY FRIEND CARLOS ONE DAY
SAID, HOW’D YOU LIKE TO GO FOR A
RIDE IN A SMALL PLANE?
I DECIDED THAT IT WAS TIME TO
FACE MY FEARS.
JUST THIS ONCE.
WE TOOK OFF AND IT WAS SO
BEAUTIFUL.
>> Reporter: THE MOMENT
CONVINCED HER TO TAKE LESSONS.
>> BEFORE I LEARNED TO FLY, I
WAS OFTEN DEPRESSED AND SAD.
BUT AS SOON AS THE WHEELS LEFT
THE GROUND, I FELT SOMETHING
INSIDE OF ME LIFT.
>> Reporter: SOON AFTER, SHE SET
HER SIGHTS ON AEROBATICS, BUT
SHE HAD TO OVERCOME ANOTHER
CHALLENGE.
>> I’M ONLY 5’2" AND A HUNDRED
POUNDS.
MY FEET DIDN’T REACH THE PED
BALL.
SO I HAD A SET OF SPECIAL SHOES
MADE KIND OF LIKE PLATFORM
SHOES.
>> Reporter: CECILIA HAS MORE
THAN 60 CONTESTS UNDER HER BELT.
SHE EVEN WON A TEAM BRONZE MEDAL
AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN
1994 BEFORE RETIRING FROM THE
SPORT.
>> EACH DAY I WOULD MAKE MYSELF
DO SOMETHING WITHTHAT WAS JUST A
LITTLE SCARY.
THE FIRST DAY I DIDN’T SAY, I’M
GOING TO GO FLY LOOPS AND ROLLS.
NO.
I SAID FIRST DAY, I’M GOING TO
DRIVE TO THE AIRPORT WITHOUT
THROWING UP.
>> Reporter: STRATEGIES SHE USED
IN THE AIR HELPED THIS COMPUTER
SCIENTIST CHASE DREAMS IN A
FIELD WHERE LATINA WOMEN ARE
ALSO UNDERREPRESENTED.
S SEAL YA EARNED HER Ph.D. IN
2004.
THEN IN 2009, HER WORK WAS
HONORED WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL
EARLY CAREER AWARD FOR
SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS.
>> I POINTED MY AIRPLANE
STRAIGHT AT THE GROUND AT 250
MILES AN HOUR.
IF I CAN DO THAT, I CAN APPLY
FOR A JOB AS A PROFESSOR.
SO I DID.
AND NOW I AM A FULL PROFESSOR AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON.
IT’S THE JOB I WAS BORN TO DO.
I’M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT
WHAT I CALL HUMAN CENTERED DATA
SCIENCE.
I BELIEVE REALLY STRONGLY THAT
FLYING IS WHAT GAVE ME FREEDOM
IN LIFE.
I HAVEN’T STOPPED BEING AFRAID.
BUT WHAT I DO KNOW NOW IS THAT
WHENEVER I AM AFRAID, I TURN TO
MY INNER STRENGTHS AND I TELL
MYSELF I CAN DO THIS.
>> INCREDIBLE ADVICE.
SHE’S AN AMAZING PERSON.
CECILIA HAS ALSO LEFT HER MARK
ON COMPUTER SCIENCE.
SHE SAYS WHEN PEOPLE ACCESS A
DATABASE, CHANCES ARE THEY’RE
USING SOFTWARE THAT SHE WROTE.
AND WITH ALL OF THE
ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN MALE DOMINATE
DOMINATED FIELDS, SHE’S DREAMING
OF GOING INTO HER FATHER’S FOOT
STEPS.
HE, TOO, WAS A PROFESSOR.
THE BOOK IS CALLED "FLYING
FREE."
>> THAT’S SO GOOD.
WE MAY NOT JUMP OUT OF A PLANE