Local Gqeberha teacher, Allysa Moran of the Willow Academy in Fairview, recently received an invitation from a flight school in Norway to complete her flight training and obtain her pilot’s licence.
This is all to get her a step closer to achieving her childhood dream of becoming a cargo pilot. Moran, who is currently receiving her basic flight training from the Algoa Flying Club in Gqeberha, has been a big dreamer her whole life, but getting to this point was no easy journey for the local teacher.
At just 18 months old Moran was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, and after a visit to the Groote Schuur hospital in Cape Town, a CAT scan revealed the cancer had already started spreading to the brain and the left eye, and had unfortunately already damaged the visual nerves, leaving the doctor with no choice but to remove her right eye.
Owing to Moran’s affected facial features, she had to endure bullying throughout her school years, such as name-calling and getting laughed at. A moment she will always remember was a day in Grade 7 when she reached her breaking point and ended up having a physical altercation with another student. Not only did she have to deal with fellow students, but was told by her Grade 5 teacher that she would not make it far in life due to her inability to speak and understand English. Her friends constantly reminded her that she would never be able to study at a tertiary institution. Eventually, all this built up to a dark time, where she hated herself and tried to commit suicide at the age of 15 (Grade 9).
Despite the hardships Moran faced, she matriculated in 2017 at Framesby High School, gained her driver’s licence at 18, and went on to complete two degrees.
During her time as a student teacher, she launched a campaign, “back a buddy”, to support students who get bullied in school, an initiative she is extremely passionate about and aims to start something similar at the school she is currently teaching at.
“They kicked me when I was down, but what they didn’t realise, … they were kicking a giant,” Moran said as she reflected on those dark times.
Her vision today is perfect and presents no vision difficulty when she is flying or driving. She just needs to do more checks than the average person.
Moran’s decision to study education after high school is all thanks to her high school Afrikaans teacher, Mrs Schoeman, who inspired her to become a teacher because she was the one teacher who showed so much care, and made her feel seen and valued.
Moran aims to do the same for her students every day.
“I didn’t become a victim of my circumstances; I decided to get up and show everyone who doubted me what I am capable of,” Moran stated proudly.
Her love of flying started at an early age, and after watching an air crash investigation episode with her dad the dream of becoming a pilot never left, but this big dream she shared only with those close to her, because of the fear of the negative comments she would receive.
Today Moran is proud to share her dream with everyone around her.
“No dream is too big. I want to show people when you set your mind on something, just go for it. The most important thing is to try and not be afraid to fail. Do not stop trying,” she said.
Students and fellow teachers at the Willow Academy support this local teacher’s dream to become a cargo pilot.
“For now, I feel like my work is not done at the school yet; I’m planning on leaving for the flight school in Norway in the next two years. I live for these children. I want every child to reach their full potential despite what others might say or think of them,” said Moran.
This local teacher’s story is about never giving up, knowing that you are capable of so much more than you think and that the sky is not even the limit. Every obstacle that comes your way is just another stepping stone to build on.
“I feel like my job is to help people achieve their goals. I want to die knowing I inspired people.” Moran added.
