By Admin. Updated 5:05 p.m., Wednesday, March 13, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Vincentian-born American Airlines pilot – Mrs. Rochelle Roache-Lanza visited the Bequia Anglican Primary School today (March 13).
The Bequia Anglican Primary is the school at which she attained her primary education in the 1980s before attending the St. Joseph’s Convent in Kingstown in 1990.
One News SVG was informed about the visit and contacted the principal of the school. The school’s principal – Mrs. Gillian Graham told One News SVG that Mrs. Roache-Lanza was just passing through.
She said the school gave Mrs. Roache-Lanza three tokens.
The principal said Mrs. Roache-Lanza addressed the student body and there was a cultural item performed for her. Mrs. Roache-Lanza also pinned the school’s prefects.
Mrs. Roache-Lanza gained national notoriety in December 2023 when it was announced that she would fly an American Airlines aircraft into the Argyle International Airport (AIA).
On December 9, 2023, she made history by becoming the first female Vincentian to land an American Airlines aircraft into the country.
A red carpet was spread for her and government officials, family, students, and well-wishers gathered at the airport to greet her and celebrate her achievements.
Her visit stood as a beacon of hope for young people who wish to dream big and achieve remarkable success despite their backgrounds.
A brief background based on information received from Mrs. Roache-Lanza’s mother in December 2023:
Mrs. Roache-Lanza is a commercial pilot with years of experience in the Caribbean, Nigeria, and the USA.
Here is her background, according to information from her mother – Mrs. Marilyn Roache:
Rochelle Roache-Lanza attended Primary School in Bequia. She then attended the St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown (SJCK) from 1985 to 1990, then on to sixth form at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College. It was while Rochelle was at Community College that she developed a love for Geography. There, she was pushed to excel by her Geography teacher – Mr Kelvin Malcolm.
Rochelle’s journey to excellence saw her embracing the job of Air Traffic Controller where she spent three (3) years in Union Island and Canouan in that position. She pursued studies in Trinidad and Tobago where she was inspired to become a pilot.
Her mom recalls fondly that her response when Rochelle called asking for $24,000.00 to finance this particular course of study was: “Where am I going to get this money”? Rochelle was even told that the sky is for birds and that’s a man’s job. Her parents couldn’t afford it so Rochelle came back and continued working, but she was not deterred. She applied for and was successful at securing a loan to attend flight school in Canada.
Rochelle was certain she wanted to do this even as her parents tried to discourage her. When Rochelle returned from Canada, her parents had to pay the loan and Rochelle had to attend another flight school in Guyana as well as obtain her Caribbean aviation license in Antigua for a further three (3) months, with an exam every six (6) months. Her mom Marilyn remembers the fun short stint Rochelle spent with SVG Air. Rochelle seized the opportunity when a position became available with Caribbean Star in Antigua, even after the merger with LIAT, and was based there for a couple years. Fortune favors the bold and so it was when another opportunity opened up in Nigeria. Rochelle took that massive leap in 2008.
From Nigeria, Rochelle relocated to the USA and was fortunate to fly corporate jets, one of her passengers being then President Biden. Not being able to settle, Rochelle went to Texas and taught at the aviation school.
One News SVG 