As a second-year student in the Bachelor of Arts - Aviation (in conjunction with MFC Training) at Mount Allison University, Autumn Rayne Sears is already charting a path of leadership, resilience, and ambition. The winner of a continuing bursary for Indigenous women in aviation through Jazz Airlines, she was recently invited to Toronto for a gala to celebrate all the winners.  With a keen focus on both her academic journey and her cultural heritage, this award is a perfect acknowledgement of both her accomplishments and ambitions. 

Sears’s journey began in Memramcook, NB, with roots in the Glooscap First Nation in Nova Scotia on her maternal side. With her mother’s early passing, a high-school graduation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a false start to her post-secondary plans due to the same pandemic, she acknowledges that the path hasn’t been straightforward.  

Yet, she turned it all into fuel. After stepping away from university when classes went fully online, she worked, saved money, and restarted her education four years later with a whole new purpose. Today, Sears maintains a part-time job at Taverna, a beloved Moncton Greek Resto Bar and Grill, whose owners have encouraged and celebrated her journey from full-time work to balancing busy shifts and studies. She credits the owners, Billy and Dimitri Stamatakos, for their flexibility and support so that she can maintain both school and work. 
 
“I want to help others that might want to pursue [post-secondary education] and not know how,” Sears says. “I took a path that isn’t typical, but I’m so glad for how everything turned out. I learned so much and became certain of what I wanted to do and now I can help other women like me do the same.”  

Sears’s story resonates because she embodies the intersection of achievement and accountability. The award she received is a continuing bursary for Indigenous women in aviation through Jazz Aviation in partnership with the Northern Lights Aerospace Foundation and the program Indspire. The award is based not only on Indigenous identity, but on strong academic performance and financial need.  

At Mount Allison, she now maintains a 4.2 GPA. Beyond the cockpit, Sears’s academic interests have expanded into environmental science and geography since taking some classes in that discipline. She hopes to combine flying with environmental surveillance and conservation efforts when her career takes off.  

Her attendance at the Women in Aviation Awards Gala in Toronto provided connections to airlines, flight colleges, and other women already navigating the skies. For Sears, the event was more than a night of recognition — it was a networking launch pad and an inspiration for homing in on her career goals. 

“Flying had always felt like a dream, something out of reach, but once I realized I could make it happen, I committed fully.” Sears says.  

Sears is becoming grounded in her Indigenous identity. Though she didn’t grow up immersed in Indigenous community life, she is now actively reconnecting with her heritage. She began studying Mi’kmaw after learning that only about 100 fluent speakers remain — a statistic that motivated her to act. Her grandmother, an Elder within the community, serves as a key influence and guide in this journey. 

Beyond personal growth, Sears sees her role as a bridge: between aviation and Indigenous youth, between environmental action and flying, and between culture and career. She is advocating for Indigenous studies to be a mandatory course at Mount Allison — a testament to her desire not only to succeed but to create structural change. 

In the near term, Sears plans to earn her commercial pilot’s license and gain hours through instructor training via MFC Training in Dieppe. Amidst all of her commitments, she and her fiance, Kirk, are planning to get married when time allows. She acknowledges him as a constant source of support and encouragement as she maintains her focus on her education.  Long-term, she is drawn to aerial environmental surveillance — a niche that unites her academic strengths and her passion for the planet. 

As she prepares for the aviation phase of her program, Sears knows the road ahead is rigorous — and one she very purposefully paved for herself. With her ambition and clarity of purpose, she is already a leader among Indigenous women in aviation, showing that representation matters and that the journey is truly possible.