By Ginger LeBlanc
Captain Barrington Irving Jr. shared his life story of how he reached success earlier this fall on the campus of Millington Central Middle High School.
He entertained the students showing the various educational expeditions he has participated in all over the world.
While working with middle and high school students in various school districts across the nation, he platformed them into building planes and fast cars from the beginning to the end.
Irving spoke to the students about how you may not think you will ever use the educational skills you acquire, but when applied through practical applications it is easier to understand how it relates to” real world “experiences in the workforce.
He encouraged them to become entrepreneurs and how financial literacy is so important. He stated, “you are young and have time on your hands to become successful adults in the workforce. Use your educational information to plan your future of success. “
Our students were encouraged by his sacrifices and determination to achieve his goal. The way he never gave up and kept pushing forward even when all doors seemed closed. They asked and answered a lot of questions of Captain Irving.
Irving took the extra time and remained after the presentation to answer student questions one on one. The students were motivated when they returned to class and several immediately reached out to their teachers for guidance.
His life story and achievements help others believe they can achieve anything with sacrifice and perseverance.
He left a strong impact on our students, faculty and administration.
I included his biography below if you want to include anything about him and his accomplishments.
Irving was born November 11, 1983 and is a Jamaican-born American pilot who previously held the record for the youngest person to pilot a plane around the world solo, a feat he accomplished in 2007.
He is also the first black person and first Jamaican to accomplish this feat. His airplane, a Columbia 400 (Cessna Corvalis 400), is named the “Inspiration,” and was manufactured and assembled by the Columbia Aircraft Mfg. Co. in 2005, classified as a standard aircraft in the utility category using more than $300,000 in donated parts.
Irving turned down multiple Division I football scholarship offers to pursue his passion for flight. Irving graduated from Broward Community College and Florida Memorial University, where he graduated with a Bachelors in Aeronautical Science, Magna Cum Laude. At Florida Memorial University, Irving earned his Private, Commercial and Certified Flight Instructor licenses with an Instrument Rating.
On March 23, 2007, while still an undergrad student at Florida Memorial University, Irving flew a Columbia 400, a single-engine aircraft named “Inspiration,” solo around the world. He arrived back on June 27, 2007, having completed the 24,600-mile circumnavigate. Upon completing the trip, Irving, who was 23-years old at the time, became the first black person to circumnavigate the globe and at the time, the youngest person to do so.
The completion of the flight earned Barrington a title in the Guinness Book of Records.
Through his platform, Captain Irving founded The Flying Classroom and Experience Aviation to invest, inspire and empower young professionals in STEM+ and aviation careers. The Flying Classroom, LLC, launched in 2013, is a K 12 integrative STEM+ supplemental curriculum to educate and connect young professionals to STEM+ and aviation careers. Through a proprietary platform, students can explore more than 55 STEM-focused global expeditions and have access to 165 interactive and virtual lessons.
