February 12, 2025
The Youngest Black Woman To Obtain A Pilot’s License At 17-Years-Old Continues Studies At HBCU
Freeland now studies finance while still being able to hit the skies with multiple passengers.
Kamora Freeland first made news last year when she became the youngest Black woman to obtain her pilot’s license at 17.
The accomplishment trailblazer is continuing her studies at an Atlanta HBCU famed for its all-women student body. Freeland started Spelman College as a sophomore, securing enough college credits to qualify as a second-year student.
On attending college, Freeland called it a “whirlwind of emotions” but hopes to discover more about herself in the experience.
“Starting college as a sophomore has been a whirlwind of emotions—exciting, overwhelming, and liberating all at once,” Freeland told the Advance/SILive.com. “It’s like stepping into a whole new world where you’re figuring out who you are, balancing independence, and navigating friendships, academics, and late-night study sessions.”
After obtaining her pilot’s license last year, Freeland knows her path is a bit untraditional. Although she originally wanted to explore the ocean, her knack for the skies began after a flight lesson in 2021.
“I earned my pilot license before I got a driver’s license,” she jokingly told the New York Post last March.
The Staten Island teen reigns as the youngest pilot in New York and remains one of the youngest in history to receive a pilot’s license.
It’s amazing,” said Freeland, who graduated from high school last year. “I never wanted to be a pilot, but after my first flight, I was like, ‘Wow! I could do this for a living.’ ”
Since last February, Freeland has been legally qualified to fly a plane carrying up to 12 passengers.
She also told the Post, “I love flying, and I have a passion for it. Plus, pilots can make up to $700,000, so that caught my attention, too. The next step is to become a commercial airline pilot.”
However, Freeland currently majors in finance with a minor in entrepreneurship at the HBCU. Whether or not she will continue on the commercial airline pilot route remains unknown, but with her pilot experience already started, Freeland can still hit the skies as she feels.
RELATED CONTENT: Sisters Of The Skies Commit To Diversifying Aviators