VTSU photos.
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University is sponsoring this year’s Ninety-Nines International Conference, taking place in Burlington from July 9-13, 2025. The non-profit organization, made up of thousands of licensed women pilots spanning 44 countries, hosts this annual, prestigious international gathering to bring together aviators, industry professionals, and advocates for women in aviation.
As part of the event, Vermont State University (VTSU) will be showcasing its Professional Pilot Technology program, which is the only one of its kind in the state. The program is designed to prepare students for careers as professional commercial pilots, offering hands-on training, expert instruction, and direct pathways into the aviation industry.
Blending classroom learning with real-world flight training, VTSU’s Professional Pilot Technology program offers students an affordable and accelerated path to the cockpit. It's fully authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), giving students the opportunity to fast-track their journey to becoming commercial airline pilots.
“The VTSU Professional Pilot program maintains its high standard in the aviation industry by offering excellent flight training accompanied by academic rigor that places graduates on the flight deck of a wide variety of commercial aircraft,” said Robin Guillian, Director of Aviation at VTSU. Beyond flight hours and certifications, Robin is also changing the face of the aviation industry. Vermont State is proud to support and celebrate women in aviation, a field where women are still significantly underrepresented. Guillian, alongside community partners, founded the Vermont Chapter of the non-profit organization, Women in Aviation International.
“As a pilot and instructor who has navigated the skies globally and logged over 6,000 commercial flight hours, I understand the unique challenges and triumphs women face in aviation,” Guillian added.
Sara Christian-O’Connor, a graduate of VTSU’s program and now a flight instructor, came to aviation as a second career and hasn’t looked back. “I feel super lucky and grateful I get to fly airplanes for a living. At least once a week I’ll be mid-flight and have one of those ‘wow, I get to do this every day’ moments. Aviation has truly bettered me as a person and a professional,” said Christian-O’Connor.
She said she’s been fortunate to have female students specifically seeking a female instructor and says her experience at VTSU has guided her career path. “Being someone who was in an education field prior, the best educators I saw were the ones not only who had the expertise, but the ones who could build meaningful relationships with students to help them be as successful as possible and I've seen that with the (VTSU) faculty,” said Christian-O'Connor.
Ella Newman, a senior in the program and a flight instructor said seeing women in aviation leadership roles throughout the state and VTSU has had a huge impact on her. “I couldn’t have made it this far without being in a college program like VTSU. The support system has helped me get to where I am, and without all of them, I would not be where I am today,” said Newman.
Whether it’s a student’s first time or their next step toward a lifelong career, Vermont State University’s aviation program is proud to shape the future of flight, one student at a time, and to continue to celebrate women in aviation at this year’s Ninety-Nines International Conference in our home state of Vermont.
VERMONT STATE UNIVERSITY
Vermont State University provides a high-quality, flexible, and affordable education for students seeking associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, certificates, and in-demand professional credentials. The university builds upon a history of public higher education in Vermont dating back to 1787. More information about Vermont State University can be found here: https://vermontstate.edu
Vermont State University is built upon the best of Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College. Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, July 1, 2023.
7.1.2025. BURLINGTON, Vt. — Vermont State University VermontState.edu
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