Courage. Love. Empowerment. Community.
This volume of Flight Attendant stories is packed with themes of crew solidarity, personal triumph, and adventures (and don’t forget misadventures!). The authors of volume 3 will make you laugh, cry, and cringe at the stories they share about their lives in the air & on the ground. You can expect to be moved by their resilience, kindness, and care. There are tales of overcoming physical and psychological obstacles, as well as anecdotes about passenger mishaps. There are stories of family history, immigration and chronicles of travel experiences from around the globe. There are poems of hope and accounts of friendship. Each chapter of this volume will bring you closer into the lives of the Flight Attendants who wrote them and will help open your eyes to the incredible and unique lives they lead.
VOLUME 3
“Changing the world one flight at a time. Those sky angels are sure on the right path” – Karine Boileau, Author, Podcast Host, Speaker
And now, with these books, we have the opportunity to use our voices to make this world a better place in AND out of the skies. In the third volume of I Am a Flight Attendant & That Is My Superpower, readers will follow the adventure of courageous Flight Attendants as they navigate the challenge of air travel while harnessing their unique superpowers. From the heights of the skies, these unsung heroes bring comfort and safety to passengers in need, all while displaying remarkable strength, resourcefulness, and kind-ness. So, welcome aboard! Take a seat, unwind, and immerse yourself in a heart-warming and exhilarating journey through the eyes of these incredible 21 superheroes known as Flight attendants.
Meet The Authors From Volume 3
- Jessica De Serre Boissonneault
- Amber McCreight
- Isabelle rioux
- Paula Erskine
- Tania Kelly
- Sophie Roy
- Divya Sawhney
- Karine Boileau
- Patrick Richard
- Subbalakshmi A Pillai
- Louis Philippe Couto
- Brittany Stewart
- Jean-Francois Dupras
- Debra Lee Bambrough
- Jaime Smith
- Leonor Andrade
- Gaspare Calia
- Lily D’Ailleboust
- Isabelle Pelletier
- Shirley Pierre
Jessica De Serre Boissonneault
From small town girl to global inspiration, Jessica has always been known for her positivity and bubbliness! Jessica’s real transformation began in 2013 when she made the crucial decision to escape an abusive marriage and start her journey as a single mother. Through her journey, she learned how to elevate women just like her. Along with being a service director & an in-flight safety training specialist, she is today happily in love with her beautiful, blended family of 6! She was nominated for the Top 50 Most Influential Women in the VIP Global Magazine in the United States and is an award-winning author with three International Best-Selling Books. As a publisher she is overjoyed to share that she has now helped 48 authors to become bestseller authors & she is proud of each one of them. Jessica is the founder of the Women Empowerment Wednesday Show & Women In Power events. Her motto is: “We rise by lifting each other”! She is dedicated to sharing her contagious energy with everyone fortunate enough to cross her path. Jessica is an entrepreneur at heart, a dreamer, and a go-getter, and you are likely to see her hiking, having a family dance party in the living room, enjoying date night with her love, or on a plane for her next adventure exploring this beautiful world!
“Believe in yourself and you will be unstoppable” – unknown
Always with love, jessica dsb
To schedule a complimentary session; please text Jessica at Tel: +1 514.824.9402
Email : [email protected]
Amber McCreight
Amber McCreight has been a flight attendant for nine years. She has many interests, including reading, crafting, and travelling. Following the Covid19 pandemic, she returned to work in September of 2021, the same month she began the Master of Education in Curriculum & Pedagogy program at OISE. Thankfully, with classes being predominantly online and with her having the power to control her flying schedule, she was able to both work and study. Now, nearly two years later, McCreight has completed all her coursework and will receive her diploma this June.
Isabelle Rioux
Isabelle started working for the airline industry in 1997. Her mother’s dream was to become a flight attendant, so Isabelle decided to explore the profession further. She flew for 3 consecutive summers while completing her bachelor’s degree in administration at the Université du Québec in Montréal. She fell in love with her job and discovered a true passion for aviation. In 1999, she was offered a permanent position, and her summer job turned into a career. During her time as a flight attendant, Isabelle travelled the world and took advantage of all the opportunities the company offered her. Among other things, she worked in the recruiting department and loved every moment of recruiting new cabin crew. Last year, Isabelle joined the training team and discovered a new passion for teaching. Last August, she had the honour of giving an incoming class of flight attendants their wings on graduation day. This moment was very emotional for her, but even though she has taken off her wings for a manager position, she is still part of the in-flight service.
Isabelle is also committed to the cause of autism for her son, who has changed her and her vision of what is important in life. That is the reason she writes! To share and raise awareness of her daily experiences with her son. She created a private group called Ma bulle on Facebook with more than 1100 members. Isabelle wants to make a difference with her love.Ma bulle : www.facebook.com/groups/417468075031563/
Paula Erskine
Patrick is such a funny and inspiring person. He is present, attentive, caring, and generous with both his time and his person. He is hilarious, determined and he possesses an untold number of talents and expertise of all kinds. He’s a great communicator. He is also a remarkable writer. He’s a LEADER, and he’s also an incredible “cheerleader” – always ready to cheer on and motivate the troops with positive, colorful comments filled with love and care. He is a real and genuine person who embraces his imperfections (which one might say!) and who constantly motivates himself to see the bright side of life. He is positive and gets back up no matter what obstacles life puts in his way. He is truly an example of resilience and what it means to have a ‘powerful mindset’! His curiosity and his love of life have led him to travel a lot and continuously. His quest for the world (outside and inside) eventually guided him to the world of cruise ships on which he worked and sailed in international waters for nearly ten years. He then turned to aviation, where he took on several challenges. Patrick acts as an agent of change and justice. He defends several causes, including Suicide Prevention and non-discrimination in general. He worked and volunteered in palliative centers where he provided people with his company at the end of their life, or as usual, helped them embark on another voyage.
@catwalktorunway
@catwalktorunway
Website: www.catwalktorunway.com
Tik tok: @catwalk2runway
Photographed by Alexis Lagos www.lacedupimagery.com
Tania Kelly
Tania Kelly is a 47-year-old mom. She has been a flight attendant for 27 years and is still loving it! Juggling flying and a busy family schedule is not always easy, but she loves all the free time her job gives her. Her favourite destination is Japan. She loves the food, the people, and the culture. Tania is happily married to her husband of 15 years. With both spouses working shift work, they find ways to manage parental responsibilities with great success and make an amazing team. Tania has always been an active person. She loves running and has completed seven half marathons. Before her accident, Tania was planning to complete a full marathon. A once-in-a-lifetime achievement that she wanted to accomplish. Today, with the help of a physiotherapist, she is slowly training her modified body to run again. She is well aware that she is taking chances and knows that she might have to stop one day but is taking life one kilometre at a time while listening to her body and respecting its limits. Standing strong on her two feet and enjoying life is her main priority. Tania believes that the mind is powerful and that no one should let anything stop them from achieving their life goals. She spends each day getting stronger and setting an example for her kids and knows in her heart that one day she will cross that finish line.
Sophie Roy
Sophie Roy, a 70s girl originally hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, currently resides in the Greater Montreal area. Her friends would describe her as a problem-solving ray of sunshine who always looks for the positive and the good in every situation. She is a cheerleader to her friends and family and loves to share her knowledge and many talents with those around her. Her educational background includes studies in fitness, finance, recreation & tourism, and music. Her professional experience includes positions in customer service, tourism, management, writing, and aviation. She is always looking to learn new skills and expand her extensive knowledge base. Her proudest achievements involve participating in the CBC Telethon for the Heart & Stroke Foundation show as a singer, authoring and self-publishing her first book entitled Go-Fit on The Go, and winning second place in a science project in middle school. However, her greatest achievement of all has been working as a flight attendant for over 22 years, during which time she has had the pleasure of seeing the world. She likes to view life as an ongoing journey and aspires to one day write an autobiography wherein she will share all the experiences that have made her into the person she is today.
Email: [email protected]
Divya Sawhney
A child of the world as she calls herself, Divya was born and raised in the Kingdom of Bahrain, a small island with rich history, culture and a multicultural population. Coming to Vancouver, Canada, at the age of 17 and descending from roots in India, she learnt to adapt to a new way of life in Canada. Divya believes in the widespread saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” Being a Flight attendant was not always her dream; she managed to follow the path of both her late Grandfathers who worked for the once prestigious airline, Pan Am. Coincidence or fate?
Growing up, she was fortunate to have travelled around the world at a young age, thanks to her hardworking parents who always put the needs of her and her sister ahead of their own. From the first time in seeing snow in Switzerland to the wonderful beaches in Cyprus; indeed she was fortunate. Her constant travel companion to date is her supportive sister. She believes in the concept of working hard as well as being kind, generous and helpful towards others. Volunteering, supporting charities, and keeping everyone happy around her is what completes her day. 20 years of working in the customer service industry has given her much experience, patience and understanding.
Divya manages a small business, an online stationery shop called ‘Klumsy Paper Co’, which restarted her creative side and is something she can call her own. Now back to the skies in full swing, she is thankful for the opportunities life constantly creates.
Email: [email protected]
@divsaw
Karine Boileau
Karine is the mother of a stunning 4 year-old who is just as adventurous as herself. She is a passionate dreamer who loves to spread her light and energy towards positive change. She is a fervid writer and speaker who believes in courage and determination.
As a free spirit traveler and backpacker, she really loves to identify as a modern nomad. She loves to wander around and explore the world while feeling the sun against her skin. She has a contagious smile and she loves to engage with people from all around the world. She uses the costa rican mantra « pura vida » to help her navigate through life.
She speaks many languages and is always eager to learn more. She has been a devoted flight attendant for the past nine years and simply cannot get enough of her job. She is grateful for every flight she gets to be on and loves to interact with the passengers onboard and hear about their stories.
She has a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Modern Languages which allows her to work as an English teacher in elementary schools. She is also an energy healing practitioner that helps people connect to their dreams and intuition. She is very passionate about self growth, wellness and women empowerment.
She is the author of « The Power of Speaking your Truth » and « Trust that Life has a Plane for you » both published in the Volumes 1 and 2 of the Flight Attendant Superpower series. She also writes tons of different online articles on her blog and social medias.
She loves to organize inspiring retreats where she invites women from all ages to connect, exchange and share. She has recently opened up about her mental health diagnosis and is happy to demystify bipolarity and its challenges, but also celebrate the beauty that comes with it.
Karine is the founder, host and creator of the «Les Belles Énergies » podcast available on Spotify and Apple Podcast.She is really big about living her best and most authentic life and she truly wishes to empower other people to do the same.
Writer, Motivational Speaker & Passionate Traveler
Tel: +1 (514) 625-3364
@KarineBCommunicatrice
Patrick Richard
Patrick Richard originally from the Maritimes (Tracadie, New Brunswick, Canada, to be exact), is now living in Montreal, Québec with his adorable dog Wilson. He is a multi-talented, hilarious, positive, and genuine person who embraces his imperfections and always strives to achieve more no matter what obstacles life puts in his way. He is a leader and a “cheerleader” – always ready to cheer on and motivate the troops with positive, colourful comments filled with love and care. Patrick’s love of life has led him to travel a lot. His quest for the world (outside and inside) eventually guided him to work in the cruise line industry, where he sailed in international waters for nearly ten years. He then turned to aviation, where he took on several new challenges. Patrick acts as an agent of change and justice. He defends several causes, including Suicide Prevention and non-discrimination. Additionally, he has worked and volunteered in palliative centers where he has helped people at the end of their lives pass on to their next voyage. He will be starting his marathon across Canada this coming April to inspire people never to give up while also raising money for the worthy cause of suicide prevention. Patrick believes that everything is always perfect as is; you just have to take it one step at a time.
www.patrickrichard-pr.com
www.facebook.com/patrick.richard.587606
IG: patrickrichard4129
Subbalakshmi A Pillai
Ms. Subbalakshmi Arunachalam Pillai RCIC has a work history with a calibre of diversity only few can boast of. Ms. Pillai completed her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and obtained a Master’s Degree in Yoga and has spent 22 years teaching everything from yoga, banking, tourism, hospitality, Dental Hygiene to flight attendant courses. After moving from India to Canada, she completed her Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) course and started teaching Radiology and Biomaterials at a private Dental Hygiene College in Vancouver, BC. She served as Vice Chair of the certification committee in the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia (CDSBC) for several years.
She received the Provincial Instructor Diploma in Adult Education (PIDP) from the Vancouver Community College (VCC), started teaching Tourism and Hospitality and became a faculty member at the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI). In 2019 she completed the “Immigration: Laws, Policies and Procedures” program at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and founded her own consultancy as a “Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant” (RCIC) in 2020. Since then, she has helped hundreds of students with their immigration process and has successfully represented countless immigration cases, with many of her clients becoming permanent Canadian residents. Despite her many other professional pursuits, Ms. Pillai still passionately enjoys teaching while also continuing to fly around the world as a flight attendant.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +1 604.349.9786
Louis Philippe Couto
Louis Philippe Couto spends his life balancing, as best he can, being himself, a father, a boyfriend, and a friend while also trying to go through an ever-expanding list of things to learn, books to read, music to listen to and places to see. Though he’s had many influences in his life, the best way to get a clear picture of who Louis Philippe Couto is is to listen to the song Body in a Box by City and Colour, watch the movie Into The wild, listen to Charlie Todd’s TedTalk and read The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.
www.parfaitemamancinglante.com
Brittany Stewart
Brittany Stewart has been a flight attendant for seven years. Her mom also worked for the airline industry as a CSA, so non-revving and the travel lifestyle have always been a part of her life. Brittany is a single mom to the most amazing 10-year-old boy, Lukas, who loves to travel with his mama. Brittany has two bachelor’s degrees, a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a minor in Communications and a Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Studies. She was a scholar athlete who received softball scholarships throughout her college career. Brittany was working on a master’s degree when she unexpectedly fell ill and was hospitalized for pneumonia during covid. Since then, she has been reevaluating her plans, and the master’s degree has been placed on hold (or maybe taken out altogether). In 2022, Brittany created her business, Limitless Skies, which focuses on worldwide vacation retreats that cater to those in the aviation industry. Her company continues to expand as she finds new destinations for others to explore. In addition, Brittany is passionate about mental health issues, ambassador projects, and volunteer work and tries to help those in need whenever and however she can. Even if she does not have much to give, Brittany will always provide those in need with a listening ear, a hug, her time, or coordination of an event. She is an advocate for mental illnesses and hopes to do her part in breaking down its stigma so that more people will feel comfortable being able to talk about such an important subject and consequently find it easier to reach out for help.
E-mail: [email protected]
IG: limit.lessskies
Limitless Skies
Jean-Francois Dupras
Jean-Francois Dupras is a Quebec native who has lived in Canmore, Alberta, for 18 years. He is a multifaceted individual who is a mental health advocate, public speaker, philanthropist, flight attendant and mountaineer. Dupras has been passionate about sports and the outdoors since his childhood and discovered his love for mountaineering while standing on the summit of Mt Rundle 24 years ago. Through his presentations and adventures, he aims to raise awareness about mental illness and help people understand that everything is possible, despite past challenges and fears.
Website: www.jean-francoisdupras.com
https://www.facebook.com/MyLifeMyAventure
IG: @maviemonaventure
Debra Lee Bambrough
Debra, growing up, did not have much of a childhood. Together with her two older siblings, they had to learn to take care of each other, stay out of trouble and, at times, fend for themselves. Their dear mother, then single, worked long hours outside the home to provide for her three children. There were turbulent times, but Debra learned to be self-reliant and independent.
She ran into several personal roadblocks along the way but, never giving up, she would spend many years improving herself. Her passion for knowledge pushed her to never pass on an opportunity, to surround herself with strong, successful, independent people, and to always learn new skills. She has taken a keen interest in Holistic Medicine. Today, retired from aviation, she still keeps active. She has always practiced meditation and yoga and loves the outdoors, hiking nature trails, as well as other sports. She adores animals and gets to be a Godmother to so many of her friends’ and family pets.
Moreover, mental health issues have always been a cause that has been near and dear to Debra’s heart. She has spent the better part of her life improving her own mental well-being and is currently working towards the goal of becoming a Mental Health Advocate.
An R.R.C.O. Certified Reflexologist
An Independent SuperPatch
Distributor/Practitioner
Email: [email protected].
Website: bambisox.superpatch.com
Jaime Smith
Jamie Smith has been a flight attendant for 25 years and is also a certified Transformational Life Coach, actor, and motivational comedian. Jamie loves to help people create inspiring visions for their lives with ease, grace, and laughter.
Email: [email protected]
@takeoffwithjamie
Leonor Andrade
Leonor, aka Len, is a single child to Portuguese immigrant parents. She was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, surrounded by the strength of her family. She has been a traveller from a young age, with her first trip being one where she visited family in the Azores Islands of Portugal. She began exploring the world on her own at 21 when she joined a cruise ship to work as a child care coordinator. That year abroad gave her so many opportunities to see and do things that she never thought possible. This experience definitely gave her the travel bug. She had 2 cousins that were already flight attendants, so they convinced her that she should apply. She did, and the rest is history. She has now been a flight attendant for 25 years. Working in this industry has allowed her to visit over 30 countries on 3 continents and over 50 destinations, giving her a surplus of 23,000 hours in the sky. So much has changed since she first started this career. Aviation has gone through so many challenges over the years. The terrorist attacks of 9-11, SARS and most recently Covid-19. It is an ever-adapting industry that must go on. Being a flight attendant has taught her independence, resilience, and the courage to venture into the unknown. Her most successful accomplishments are her two daughters, Emilia & Lily. They are the light and loves of her life. If she could teach them one thing, it would be to have the confidence in themselves and to never resist trying something new; it just might turn into the best thing in their lives! Safe flying, always. Leonor Andrade
leonorandrade-cummings
_leonor75
Gaspare Calia
Gaspare Calia graduated from Humber College of Applied Arts & Technology in 1988. His diploma was in hotel and restaurant management. He put what he learned to good use and joined the airline industry at the age of 24. There were a few bumpy roads at the beginning, but he persevered. That perseverance, resilience and strong will has led him to where he is today. He has completed 35 years in a profession wherein he has moved up the latter and attained and held the position of Flight Director for the past 25 years. During this tenure, Gaspare’s leadership and management skills have soared to new heights and helped him in his personal development. His outgoing and funny nature and his love for customer service have given him immense satisfaction. His love for travelling combined with his love of cooking has allowed him to taste most cuisines the world has to offer. Add to that a passion for entertaining family and dear friends, you have a winning combination for JOIE DE VIVRE. His plan is to keep on travelling, exploring, learning, and exploring new places. He will continue to accumulate memories and appreciate everything the world has to offer.
gasparecalia0607
E-Mail: [email protected]
Lily D’Ailleboust
Lily D’Ailleboust is a Mohawk from a Mohawk territory, Kahnawà:ké, near Montreal, Quebec. With a deep seeded passion for following her dreams and making things happen, she embarked on a journey to be where she is today, working as a flight attendant. Her vision is to bring awareness and recognition to First Nation People in the aviation industry and the empowerment of women in aviation. She is striving to encourage movement for all Aboriginal people to have more awareness of what this industry can offer and for more women to achieve independence and fulfilment, like she did, in any aspect of the aviation world.
@mohawkflightattendant
Lily Kanerahtiio Dailleboust
Isabelle Pelletier
Montreal born, Isabelle Pelletier studied Film, Screenplay and Book Writing before getting her dream job working for a televised music station in the late 90s. After nearly 10 years in the TV industry, she decided to change her career path drastically. In 2005 she started her career as a flight attendant and is still loving her vocation. During the pandemic, she took on an even bigger challenge and decided to go back to university for Translation Studies. She is extremely honoured to be a part of this amazing book series, and to have also played a small role in Volume 1 of the project, as an amateur proofreader for some of the short stories. Quality family time, flying and translating are all possible, thanks to her unbeatable, atypical lifestyle.
Shirley Pierre
Shirley Pierre was born and raised in Montréal, Canada, to Haitian parents who immigrated to the province of Québec in the 1970s. Shirley is entering her 27th year of flying the friendly skies. Her travels and layovers took her to places like Nice, London, Buenos Aires, and Sydney, Australia. She has always been fascinated by the mind-body-spirit connection, and this passion brought her to her yoga practice, her love for fitness and wellness, and reading books about spirituality and personal development. Motherhood has made Shirley shift her priorities and awoke her almost-forgotten dreams of writing books, public speaking, and voice acting. She has written essays and short stories, which won best writing on a writing platform, and she has participated in open mic slam poetry. Many projects are on the roster for Shirley: another yoga teacher training, running a full marathon, writing a book, and she is currently in training as an interpreter from French to English and English to French for a personal development company. This is Shirley’s second participation in the book series I Am a Flight Attendant & That is My Superpower.
shirley.pierre514
shirley.pierre