06 Aug August 6, 2021 – 1st Afghani Female Pilot Niloofar Rahmani and Nomad Parenting Chris & Holly Santillo
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Niloofar Rahmani – Author of Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan’s First Female Pilot
If I was able to do and dream and make my dreams come true in the united states because we have everything so easy.
Niloofar Rahmani became the first female fixed-wing pilot for the Afghan Air Force in 2012. She speaks three languages and has been interviewed for the Wall Street Journal, Japan Times, and the Independent as well as CNN and PBS. In 2015 the US State Department presented Rahmani with the International Women of Courage Award. She lives in the southeastern United States. In 2010, for the first time since the Soviets, Afghanistan allowed women to join the armed forces, and Niloofar entered Afghanistan’s military academy. Niloofar had to break through social barriers to demonstrate confidence, leadership, and decisiveness—essential qualities for a combat pilot. Niloofar performed the first solo flight of her class—ahead of all her male classmates—and in 2013 became Afghanistan’s first female fixed-wing air force pilot. The US State Department honored Niloofar with the International Women of Courage Award and brought her to the United States to meet Michelle Obama and fly with the US Navy’s Blue Angels. But when she returned to Kabul, the danger to her and her family had increased significantly.
Chris & Holly Santillo – Authors of Resilience Parenting: Raising Resilient Children in an Era of Detachment and Dependence
Failure is an event it is not a person, and it is uneditable you can not go through life without some type of failure.
Chris Santillo has a degree in Computer Science from Harvey Mudd College and an MBA from Georgetown University. Holly Santillo has a degree in Anthropology from Williamette University. They are the epitome of the Latin phrase “Mens sana in corpore sano,” which means “A healthy mind in a healthy body.” Having strong backgrounds in Martial Arts with Chris being the founder and Head Instructor at Potomac Kempo in Alexandria, Virginia, and Holly being a Senior Instructor, they have managed to develop the principles of Martial Arts into a cohesive parenting methodology. They believe that children (and parents) with broader horizons and an open mind can sow the seeds for future generations of confident, strong, and resilient adults. Now, you can find them gliding through the Siberian steppes on the Trans-Siberian Railway, visiting the buzzing markets of Samarkand on the Silk Road, or wondering at the vastness of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. They have decided to live a nomadic life and explore the world with their three boys in order to bring back memories, ideas, experiences, and a fresh view on life. Chris Santillo is founder and head instructor at Potomac Kempo, a martial arts studio with four locations in Alexandria, Virginia. Holly is the founding conductor of Mount Vernon Children’s Choir and a Senior Instructor at Potomac Kempo. Together, they have been working with and educating children for more than thirty-five years. Chris has a degree in computer science from Harvey Mudd College and an MBA from Georgetown University; Holly has a degree in anthropology from Willamette University. As of the date of publication they are nomadic, exploring the world and worldschooling their three children. Visit fivebackpacks.family to read about their adventures.