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Spotlight: SoVa Wings and Waves’ First Girls in Aviation Day
In fall 2024, the SoVa Wings and Waves Chapter of Women in Aviation International brought Girls in Aviation Day to Virginia Beach for the very first time. We recently caught up with chapter founder Christina Marie Edwards to reflect on what it took to launch the event, how her own journey in aviation shaped her vision, and what’s next for the chapter as they build momentum for future programming.
Bringing Girls in Aviation Day to Virginia Beach: A Conversation with Christina Marie Edwards
When Christina Marie Edwards helped launch the SoVa Wings and Waves chapter of Women in Aviation International in November 2023, she wasn’t planning to host a major event within the first year. Certainly not one that would attract more than 120 young attendees. But when the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach reached out in late summer 2024 about co-hosting a Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD) event, Christina saw an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
“You don’t see events like this, especially ones that are intentionally made for girls,” she said. “We wanted to start with a bang, not something mediocre.”
With only a couple of months to plan, Christina and her team jumped in headfirst. From coordinating with the museum’s educational staff to organizing 50 volunteers and a wide range of aviation and STEM exhibitors, it was a whirlwind effort, but one that paid off.
“It went really well, especially for a first-time event,” Christina said. “There was so much energy. We had girls engaging in hands-on activities, asking thoughtful questions, and really seeing what’s possible in aviation.”
That theme of seeing what’s possible is at the heart of Christina’s work.
“You can’t be what you don’t see,” she said. “That message is personal for me. Growing up, I didn’t know anyone in aviation. I saw planes all the time. I grew up near NAS Oceana, and my dad worked on an aircraft carrier, but I never thought it was something I could do.”
It wasn’t until she became a flight attendant and saw a female Asian airline pilot for the first time that it clicked. “Why am I in the back? I could be flying this thing.”
Since then, Christina has pursued her own flight training. She started ground school during the pandemic and is now working toward her private pilot’s license. She’s also committed to making aviation more accessible to others, especially young women and girls.
During GIAD in 2024, attendees were introduced to everything from drone technology to flight simulators. Christina made sure the event wasn’t just educational—it was also inspiring. “We even asked on the registration form if anyone in their family worked in aviation. For so many of these girls, the answer was no. That’s exactly why events like this matter.”
Christina is also a member of the 99s, a historic international organization of women pilots, and volunteers with their Hampton Roads chapter. She has seen firsthand the power of discovery flights and community outreach. “There was a woman who gave discovery flights to three teenagers just to give them a chance to try it. A lot of kids never get that chance.”
In addition to leading Girls in Aviation Day in Virginia Beach, Christina also took her passion overseas—hosting a Mini GIAD in her mother’s hometown in Alwa, Palauig, Zambales, Philippines.
“I had to make an emergency trip to the Philippines in September for a family funeral, and I realized I was going to be there during International GIAD,” she said. “Even though it wasn’t a planned trip, I wanted to find a way to still give back and celebrate the day with girls in the community where my family is from.”
Christina reached out to family members who are teachers and was able to coordinate a Mini GIAD at Alwa Elementary School, which her family has long supported. The school’s principal gave her the green light to come in as a guest speaker and host hands-on STEM activities.
“I packed as much as I could in my luggage—activity kits, coloring sheets from the GIAD Host Kit, swag bag items from Amazon—and just made it happen. We had 23 female students and 11 teachers participate. The boys were peeking in through the windows, totally jealous!”
With help from her uncles, mom, and other family members, she distributed swag bags and led lessons on the four forces of flight. The whole experience, she said, was deeply rewarding.
“I was inspired after reading an article in a WAI magazine about someone who hosted a Mini GIAD in India. I told myself I’d do something like that someday too. Turns out, someday came a lot sooner than I expected.”
Christina hopes to return in the future and expand the reach of the Mini GIAD, potentially visiting multiple schools across different provinces. “I have flight benefits, so I’d love to go back next year with more time to plan and make an even bigger impact.”
As she looks ahead to 2025, Christina is already brainstorming how to grow the SoVa GIAD event in Virginia Beach. “We want to start planning now. I want to get more middle and high schools involved, reach out to academies in the area, and put together a better sponsorship package.”
She also hopes to see more support from local aviation businesses and government organizations. “Even just putting it on their calendars and showing up can make a huge difference.”
To the volunteers and exhibitors who made the 2024 event possible, Christina is filled with gratitude. “We couldn’t have done it without you. Your time, your energy—it mattered.”
And to the next generation of aviators?
“Try it. Just try it,” she says. “You don’t have to know everything or have all the answers. But once you see someone like you doing it, it opens the door.”
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