Changemaker: A new chapter of the National Gay Pilots Association lifts off at MSU Denver

Editor’s note: Throughout the year, RED’s Changemakers series will feature students, faculty members, staff members and alumni who are trailblazers for Colorado’s success and active citizens paying it forward in their communities. Are you (or is someone you know) a Changemaker? Share your story.

As he entered his senior year in the Aviation and Aerospace Science Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Sebastian Steele had checked off nearly every box on his academic to-do list. He had been a work-study student and nearly completed his coursework, but it wasn’t enough.

“I really wanted to do something that could potentially add to the department,” he said.

He thought about launching a flight-simulator club but instead decided to start a campus chapter of the National Gay Pilots Association.

“MSU Denver being a very diverse school, I decided to get this ball rolling,” he said. “I contacted the national organization, and we decided to see how everyone in the department felt.”

He sent a proposal and a draft constitution to department leadership. “They liked what they saw,” he said.

Steele was uncertain at first whether his fellow students would want to join the new chapter. “I was stressed out about it because I didn’t think anyone would be interested, to be honest — but they were,” he said. “We had our first meeting in late January for the spring semester.”

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The NGPA, which was founded in 1990, “has a rich history of promoting diversity and inclusion within the aviation industry,” Steele said. “Our goal is to create a supportive community where LGBTQ+ students pursuing careers in aviation can come together to network, access mentorship opportunities and engage in discussions about the unique challenges and opportunities they may face.”

The MSU Denver chapter, which has about 25 members, has monthly meetings to view presentations, explore scholarship opportunities and discuss upcoming NGPA events. “We try to focus on the scholarship side of it,” he said. “That’s what really entices students the most.”

A nine-member contingent from the chapter attended the NGPA national conference in Palm Springs, California, this year, with travel expenses paid for by the University. “One of the organizers, who was a main member of the NGPA national organization, said that we as a first-time group actually brought the most people,” Steele said.

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The convention offered invaluable career-development opportunities, with airline representatives and military recruiters on hand, he said.

Now, as chapter president, Steele is preparing to hold an election for someone to take on the role after he graduates this May. Meanwhile, with his sights set on becoming a commercial air pilot, he plans to continue flight training to accumulate the number of hours needed to be hired.

Steele is grateful for how his proposal to start an NGPA chapter was received. “Everyone was super-supportive,” he said. “Everyone was super-understanding and wanted to support this. Everyone’s just been great.”