A Penticton woman said she is “breaking the mould” by being her natural self as she chases the Maxim magazine 2019 cover girl title.
Brandi Hansen is hoping the community gets behind her once they know that her aim is to give back to the community. Without using photoshop or filters, Hansen takes being a positive role model to women across the national paramount to anything else.
“I didn’t need to change what I look like in order to achieve anything. I have nothing to prove to anyone … I made suggestion that instead of the usual Maxim photo style photoshoot, that alternatively perhaps we can do a classic vintage pinup girls style photo shoot with vintage aircrafts,” said Hansen.
Hansen is a student pilot at Penticton’s BP Aviation Ltd. and plans on continuing to pursue and achieve her goals of becoming a flight instructor. She has also decided to donate the entire prize amount of $10,000 back to the community. A total of $8,000 will get split into four scholarships for young women in aviation. Hansen said she has already been in contact with the flight school to let them know.
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“In Canada and across the world, there is presently a remarkable shortage of pilots. Less than five percent of pilots in Canada are females. This is why I chose to give the aviation scholarships to young women. My goal is to inspire more women into the aviation industry,” she said.
The scholarship will be called the Higher, Further, Faster Aviation Scholarship and the remaining $2,000 will go the a B.C. search and rescue association team of her choice. Hansen has been a search and rescue volunteer for almost a decade.
“You’re likely wondering what I’m hoping to achieve out of this. It’s not the money, because that’s being donated. It’s not a job, because I’m well on my way through flight school and will have a job upon completion. My goal is to remain a strong and positive female role model. I hope that I can inspire other women into the aviation industry with the donated scholarships,” said Hansen. “I’m also hoping to perhaps inspire other men and women to join search and rescue. They are always looking for volunteers.”
There are three days left in the group round for voting and Hansen (as of Monday morning) sits in second place. To vote for her visit https://bit.ly/2VhijS0. Voting ends on Thursday and to move forward she will have to be in the Top 10.
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