Aviation Dream

Keston Baynes - Imagine yourself as a young man in a relatively poor Caribbean country with ambitions that might not seem attainable to most.  This certainly seemed to be the case for Keston Baynes as he was growing up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. But Keston wasn’t willing to accept what might seem impossible odds. At the age of 14, he won a tennis scholarship that enabled him to travel alone to Florida for tennis training. Several years later he graduated cum laude in the field of computer science and followed that with a position in a bank in Kingston, soon moving up to the head teller position.  While he clearly was being successful, Keston also realized that his education and work were not fulfilling his real ambition -- to become a pilot. Interest in aviation has grown in St. Vincent since the recent opening of a new international airport.  It’s helping spur the tourism economy while also creating an immediate need for new pilots for the growing number of local airlines. Keston has begun working toward his goal of becoming a commercial pilot.  He will be beginning training shortly in a commercial aviation program in Florida. As might be expected, it is both a difficult and expensive career option to pursue. Keston’s HBW Memorial Fund grant is providing an initial first step toward his goals and is helping secure the educational loans he will need to complete the commercial airline training program.