Moxy Magazine

It’s not quite boxing. Nor is it wrestling. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is sparring that incorporates a variety of techniques, including striking, grappling, submission holds and kicking. A contender proves victorious by overcoming their opponent via submission, knockout, technical knockout (TKO) or through decision by a judgment panel. The sport was traditionally dominated by men—until [...]

Read the full story

During the 1980’s a little girl named Rene Spratt dreamed of flying. Now this pilot and mother of two shares her journey to the skies.

–

During the 1980’s a little girl named Rene Spratt would go to sleep at night and dream of flying. When she woke, she tried to recreate that feeling through hobbies that included dance, gymnastics, and well…jumping from high furniture around her home. These days Spratt is a wife, mother of two babies. Oh yes, and a professional pilot who lives her dream each day at work.

Like many successful women, Spratt struggled to develop her dream into a career. After growing up and attending high school in Staten Island, NY, she enrolled in the College of Aeronautics (now Vaughn College) in Queens. Once she completed her A.A.S, or Associates in Applied Science, Aircraft Operations, Spratt was ready to follow the steps toward becoming a commercial airlines pilot.

Rene’s family was not wealthy, and training to become a pilot requires a lot of dedication—time, money, and energy. Pilots must hold an array of licenses to fly under certain circumstances. A Private Pilot Certificate allows a pilot to fly single engine airplanes, while a Commercial License is a requirement, which allows a pilot to work for hire. To fly through inclement weather, a pilot must also hold an Instrument Rating.

Though her mother and father contributed to paying for her education, they could not pay the entire bill, which included classes, flight simulation, an instructor and a $130/hour airplane rental cost to allow Rene to practice her flight and landing techniques. While attending school full-time, she worked at a local bagel shop to make ends meet and practiced flying twice a week for two hours per day during her free time. This unpredictable and packed schedule prepared Rene for a life as a pilot, one which she says she “loves, every single day… despite the weather.”

Read on to discover Rene’s thoughts on travel obsession, the funny effect turbulence has on women, and flying the friendly skies.

Read the full story

Answer quickly: How many companies have you sent your résumé to this month? How many people have you networked with? How many do you have to follow up with and when? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, your job search might not be as effective as you think. Even though trying to [...]

Read the full story

“I started working full-time when I was 20 years old at a start-up company in Palo Alto. I became a manager at Google at age 24,” writes Jenny Blake on her blog. Jenny Blake was a junior at UCLA when she decided to take a chance and took a leave of absence from school to [...]

Read the full story