What 737 Days of the COVID Lockdown Taught Me

Without a doubt, the past 2 years have been anything but uneventful for me. The multiple lockdowns, restrictions and other public health measures have greatly influenced and changed the way I approach challenges. I have reflected on how I was able to navigate through this uncertainty and would like to share my experiences with others.

The whole “Covid experience” has been formative in helping me develop the skills, knowledge, attitude and confidence that have prepared me to face whatever challenges I may encounter in the future. Let me explain. Two years ago, when the lockdowns were first initiated, everything I had planned to do at school and Cadets was abruptly canceled. Uncertainty and fear of the unknown filled the air. For example, at Cadets, I was scheduled to take the St. Johns Ambulance First Aid course and summer training. After the initial realization and disappointment of their cancellation, I started to investigate what other options were available instead. As an aviation enthusiast, I was most interested in opportunities related to that field. In my research, I stumbled upon a brilliant opportunity that the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) offered known as the “Airport Explorers Club”. This club provided an outlet for me to learn more about aviation and to contribute by sharing model planes and airport dioramas that I had built. The GTAA was impressed with my work and provided me with an opportunity to do a video interview which was subsequently shared with the GTAA employees and the public.
I came to realize that when one door closes, others open. This new wisdom allowed me to pick up other skills that I would never have attempted in the past. I learned how to bake; taught myself how to play the electric guitar; learned how to cut hair; mastered a number of woodworking power tools such as the lathe and advanced my papercraft skills. In addition, I greatly improved my organization and time management. This got me thinking about how I could apply my newly developed skills at my Air Cadet Squadron (845 Avro Arrow, Mississauga). I pitched the idea to my Squadron Commanding Officer of starting weekly Squadron trivia whereby cadets would be asked questions about the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, the Canadian Armed Forces and general interest items related to aviation. 2021 happened to be the 80th anniversary of the Air Cadet League of Canada and the 45th anniversary of my Air Cadet Squadron 845 Avro Arrow, so I thought it would be fitting to commemorate these two momentous anniversaries through my Squadron trivia. I was a one man show: researching the topics, generating questions and putting together a different interactive presentation weekly. Taking this a step further, I wanted to get more involvement from the cadets as well, so I coordinated various group activities such as the 845 Avro Arrow Squadron Flight Naming Challenge. The purpose of all of these activities was to encourage team building and teamwork while learning and having fun at the same time. As a result of all these activities, I further developed and improved my leadership, presentation and communication skills; all of which are valuable and transferable assets to whatever career path I may choose.

While this was all going on, I also continued to pursue my lifetime dream of earning my pilot’s license. I attended the National Air Cadet Ground School, administered by the Department of National Defence (DND) and hosted by Moncton Flight College (MFC). This was an intense program that required significant time commitments and a lot of self-discipline. While I was participating in the National Ground School, I truly understood the value of good time management and planning as I also had to keep up with my studies at school as well as my responsibilities at Cadets. The National Ground School provided me with an excellent foundation of aviation subjects and also helped me prepare for the Air Cadet Glider Flying Scholarship entrance exam. In addition to learning about aviation, I picked up some solid life skills in terms of how to prioritize and organize effectively. Successfully completing the Moncton Flight College program was a huge achievement for me as three years ago, I knew very little about aviation theory. Nowadays however, after a lot of training, I feel that I have a solid foundation on aerospace dynamics and the theory of flight. This is going to be an excellent steppingstone for a possible future career that I am considering with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Also, in the process, I discovered that learning is a lifelong adventure.
Through the Air Cadet program, I learned to give 100% in whatever I do and that what you put in the Air Cadet program, or any youth program for that matter, is what you will get out of it. I also learned that through hard work and perseverance, anything is possible. This leads me to now and my participation in the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) Youth Reporter Competition.
Last fall, at my Squadron, an announcement was made that the local Cadet detachment, RCSU Central, was offering a 5-week program that was all about writing and publishing newspaper articles. This course was known as the Cadet Correspondent Program. I enrolled in this course and upon completion I gained valuable practice and insights into how to write effective and persuasive articles. I felt that the CFMWS competition would be an excellent opportunity to apply my newfound skills while sharing with others the valuable lessons that I have learned during these past two years.

With the pandemic lockdowns beginning to wind down, I look forward to also “unmasking” new opportunities and adventures both within and outside of Cadets. I will always continue to reflect on these past two years with fond memories as I look forward to moving ahead and finding my pathway to the stars. Sic Itur ad Astra!