Amelia Earhart had the courage and integrity to break gender stereotypes and continues to be a huge mystery to many. Amelia didn't fit the mold that most women felt obligated to fill. From a young age, Amelia broke major gender stereotypes, especially for the time period in which she grew up. Amelia Earhart was a fantastic role model for many young women for this reason. From the day she flew her first plane to the day she flew her last, she inspired everyone to reach for the stars and if they can't reach, to spread their wings and fly. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Every great story has to start somewhere and for Amelia, it was like any other Midwestern girl. Amelia Earhart, nicknamed Millie, was born July 24, 1897. Her parents were Edwin, a railroad lawyer, and Amy Earhart. Amelia grew up in Atchison, Kansas with her grandparents and sister. Amelia was very shy at school and didn't have many friends, but she loved science and engineering. In Amelia's yearbook, they wrote "AE - The girl in brown who always walks alone." She was a very tomboyish child and she loved everything dirty. In 1909, Amelia and her sister moved to Des Moines, Iowa, because of their father's job. While in Iowa, Amelia saw her first airplane and, oddly enough, she didn't think much of it. With Edwin being an alcoholic, Amelia premeditated extreme trust issues and this also made her very dependent throughout her life. Overall, Amelia Earhart had a pretty normal childhood which led her to have a huge influence. Amelia Earhart is best known for her flight. Amelia's first flight was at a Long Beach air show in 1920. The flight lasted 10 minutes and she attached herself almost instantly. Amelia began studying aviation and learning everything there was to know about the subject. She bought the famous brown leather jacket and slept in it to make it look “used”. Amelia even cut her hair to look like other airmen. In the summer of 1921, just a year after her first flight, she bought her first plane. Amelia named the plane “The Canaries,” because of its bright yellow color. On October 22, 1922, Amelia flew at an altitude of 14,000 feet, breaking a world record for women at the time. And on May 15, 1923, Amelia Earhart became the 16th woman to receive a pilot's license! But soon after, in 1924, Amelia sold her plane because she felt she had no future in flying. Earhart slowly returned to flying in 1927 only because she missed it. Amelia became a sales representative for Kinner aircraft and wrote numerous articles about being a woman flyer and about flying in general. She invested much of her own money in airports in Dennison, Massachusetts. Needless to say, it played an important role in aviation in many ways. Amelia has quickly become a local celebrity in Boston, where she has lived for a few years now. Amelia loved being part of the aviation community, but she still really missed flying and was willing to take any opportunity she had to fly herself. In April 1928, Amelia received a telephone call from Hilton Radley. Hilton asked her to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, which she happily agreed to. A New York newspaper asked her for an interview, which led to her being officially selected to be the first.