Young Liberian in the Skies

As a little boy in Ducorfree, Sinoe County Sloh Wea told himself "I believe I can fly" and some of us heard him. Today, that little boy with what seemed at a time an impossible dream is not only flying but teaching others how to fly. See story below:

Meet Assistant Chief Pilot Shannon Wea
When you first meet Shannon, you immediately get a smile and hear a wonderful accent. His back-groung is lengthy and admirable, as he was born in Liberia, which is located on the west coast of Africa.

Since early childhood, he has always wanted to be a pilot. Well, after a long trek, he achieved his goal. Shannon joined our school late last summer when the airlines cut back - their loss was our gain.

Shannon takes great joy when someone walks through the door with no knowledge of aviation and he can make him/her learn to fly - he feels very proud.

Shannon received his primary, elementary and middle school education in Liberia. In 1989 while in middle school, a rebel incursion launched by Charles G. Taylor toppled the legitimate government of Samuel K. Doe, the elected president of Liberia. The Taylor militia disrupted and destroyed the political, social, academic infrastructure and the fabric of Liberia, a peaceful nation. The name Liberia originated from the word liberty, which means free. Liberia was founded to repatriate the freed slaves who were willing o return to Africa from the United States after the emancipation proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. The freed slaves who were sent back to Africa joined the aborigines they met there and the two groups lived in harmony in what is now called Liberia.

The Taylor rebel incursion haunted Liberia for the next 14 years. Shannon and two of his sibling sought refuge in Ghana, also located on the west coast, to survive the tyranny and anarchy from the rebels that preyed on Liberians. After receiving no formal education for four successive years due to the Taylor rebel war, Shannon was left with a 9th grade education at age 20. But throughout it all, Shannon never stopped pursuing his dream to become educated and become a pilot. He enrolled in Prince Boating Middle School in Nsawam in eastern Ghana. There he completed his middle school education and later enroll in the secondary school where he completed 11th grade.

After 11th grade, Shannon and his siblings joined their mother who had migrated to the UN in 1987. In 1996 when he arrived, he took the GED and completed his high school education. He relocated to Trenton to make his aviation dream a reality when he enrolled in Mercer County Community College. He earned his Associates Degree in Aviation Flight Technology and all of his FAA ratings. Eventually he earned a BS in Flight Technology from Thomas Edison State College and a Masters degree in Management from Thomas Edison State College.

When asked what was his most memorable day as a pilot, "My first solo!" And Shannon's favorite airplane is the Cessna 172 - it's very forgiving, especially with students, and it is very comfortable. Shannon hope to fly for an airline in the near future, however he happily works at RVFS.

Shannon has a six year old son, also Shannon Wea II, who is in kindergarten in Trenton.
We enjoy having Shannon on our staff, and we hope his dreams are kept alive.

Culled from the Princeton Airport Newsletter