Fulton Airport welcomes newly crowned Miss Volunteer America Amanda Higginbotham

From the cockpit of a commercial airliner to the Miss Volunteer America stage, Amanda Higginbotham is proving that ambition, service and leadership can share the same flight path.

Crowned Miss Volunteer America 2027, Higginbotham combines an accomplished aviation career with a long record of community service, nonprofit leadership and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) advocacy. As she begins her year of service as the organization’s national titleholder, she hopes to inspire young people, especially girls, to pursue careers in aerospace and other science and technology fields.

Higginbotham, who was crowned Miss Texas Volunteer earlier this year and Miss Volunteer America on June 20, made an entrance recently when she flew a bright red and white plane with Dr. Nassar Nassar, CEO and founder of Savant Learning Systems and its Virtual Academy program based in Martin, Tenn. into Fulton Airport to promote STEM educational programs, celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country and visit local businesses who sponsor the Miss Volunteer America program.

An airline first officer, Higginbotham has earned the Airline Transport Pilot certificate, the highest level of pilot certification available in the United States. She also holds Certified Flight Instructor ratings in single-engine, multi-engine and instrument instruction and has accepted a qualified job offer with Delta Air Lines.

While flying commercially has fulfilled a childhood dream, Higginbotham said she has even larger aspirations.

“I’ve always been focused on turning dreams into goals, and goals into reality,” she said. “Starting as a little girl wanting to fly in the sky, I’m so proud to be an airline pilot, but I’m not done soaring yet.”

She hopes to eventually serve in an executive aviation leadership role, such as vice president of flight operations, where she can influence the future of the airline industry while continuing to advocate for greater representation of women in aviation.

According to Higginbotham, only about 5.2% of airline pilots are women, a statistic she hopes to help change by encouraging the next generation of aerospace professionals.

“So, fasten those seatbelts,” she said. “The journey is just getting started.”

Higginbotham’s commitment to service extends well beyond aviation.

She is the founder of Reach Out to Outreaches Inc., a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2017. Through the organization, she has coordinated volunteer scholarships, fundraising campaigns, community festivals and service initiatives while accumulating nearly 5,000 volunteer hours throughout her lifetime.

Her volunteer work also includes serving on a committee supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Texas, creating The Spark Initiative after-school program for local The Salvation Army branches, performing as a pianist with the nonprofit Musical Melodies for nursing homes and retirement communities, and flying medical patients to treatment as a volunteer pilot with Angel Flight South Central.

A graduate of the University of North Dakota, Higginbotham earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while graduating summa cum laude as a “Leader in Action” honors student. She was named to the dean’s list, president’s list and athletics director’s honor roll every semester.

Her campus leadership included serving as captain of the university dance team, president of the honors student organization, president of the chess club and an officer with the Student Aerospace Advisory Council.

Outside the classroom and cockpit, Higginbotham has built an impressive résumé spanning aviation, modeling, education and research.

She currently flies as a first officer for SkyWest Airlines, the nation’s largest regional airline serving multiple major carriers. She has also worked as a runway and print model for nationally recognized designers and retailers, served as a STEM ambassador with NASA, instructed future pilots at the University of North Dakota’s School of Aerospace Sciences, taught within the university’s honors department and worked as a Chinese research assistant on a nationally published project.

Her achievements have earned numerous honors, including recognition as NASA Rookie STEM Ambassador of the Year, the UND Athletics Spirit Award, a Division I dance Top 15 finish at national competition and multiple awards through the Civil Air Patrol, where she attained the rank of cadet major.

She has also received dozens of academic and aviation scholarships, including the FedEx Purple Runway Scholarship and several awards recognizing academic excellence and aviation achievement.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Higginbotham embraces a wide variety of personal interests.

Known among fellow pilots by the nickname “Silk” for her smooth landings, she has traveled to more than 50 countries, with the goal of eating ice cream on every continent. She is an open-water scuba diver, enjoys line dancing, plays piano, loves chess, speaks Chinese and says she is equally at home with a passport full of stamps, a cup of coffee or a plate of sushi.

As Miss Volunteer America 2027, Higginbotham plans to spend the coming year promoting volunteerism, educational outreach and STEM opportunities while demonstrating that service and professional excellence can go hand in hand.

Her message to young people is straightforward: Curiosity, hard work and a willingness to serve others can open doors to opportunities that once seemed impossible.