in paragraph 5 of Barrington irving pilot and educator Irving says I like to do things people say I can't do cite an example of something that Irving did that supports this statement about himself

Question

Barrington Irving is very good at rising above obstacles.
Literally. Raised in Miami’s inner city, surrounded by crime,
poverty, and failing schools, he beat the odds to become the
youngest person and only African American ever to fly solo
around the world. He built a plane himself, made his historic
flight, graduated magna cum laude1

from an aeronautical science
program, and founded a dynamic educational nonprofit. Then he
turned 28.

1. magna cum laude (MAG nuh kum LOW duh) with high honors, from Latin.
1
National Geographic
Barrington Irving,
Pilot and
Educator

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NOTES

His message for kids: “The only thing that separates you from
CEOs in corner offices or scientists in labs is determination, hard
work, and a passion for what you want to achieve. The only
person who can stop you from doing something great is you.
Even if no one believes in your dream, you have to pursue it.”
The secret, he believes, is having a dream in the first place, and
that starts with powerful learning experiences that inspire kids to
pursue careers—particularly in science, technology, engineering,
and math.
The moment of inspiration for Irving came at age 15 while he
was working in his parents’ bookstore. One of their customers,
a Jamaican-born professional pilot, asked Irving if he’d ever
thought about becoming a pilot. “I told him I didn’t think I was
smart enough; but the next day he gave me the chance to sit in the
cockpit of the commercial airplane he flew, and just like that I was
hooked. There are probably millions of kids out there like me who
find science and exploration amazing, but lack the confidence or
opportunity to take the next step.”
To follow his dream, Irving turned down a full football
scholarship to the University of Florida. He washed airplanes to
earn money for flight school and increased his flying skills by
practicing at home on a $40 flight simulator video game.
Then another dream took hold: flying solo around the
world. He faced more than 50 rejections for sponsorship before
convincing several manufacturers to donate individual aircraft
components. He took off with no weather radar,
no de-icing system, and just $30 in his pocket. “I
like to do things people say I can’t do.”
After 97 days, 26 stops, and dozens of
thunderstorms, monsoons, snowstorms, and
sandstorms, he touched down to a roaring
crowd in Miami. “Stepping from the plane, it
wasn’t all the fanfare that changed my life. It
was seeing so many young people watching and
listening. I had no money, but I was determined
to give back with my time, knowledge, and experience.” He’s
been doing it ever since.
Irving’s nonprofit organization,2

Experience Aviation, aims to
boost the numbers of youth in aviation and other science- and
math-related careers. Middle and high school students attend
2. nonprofit organization company formed to provide a benefit to the community rather
than to make money for its own gain.
2
determination (dih TUR muh
NAY shuhn) n. quality of
pursuing a goal even when
it is difficult
achieve (uh CHEEV)
v. succeed in doing
something you want to do
pursue (puhr SOO) v.
continue doing an activity
over a period of time

3

4

5

6

7

"The only person who
can stop you from
doing something great
is you."

266 UNIT 3 • WHAT MATTERS

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NOTES

summer and after-school programs tackling hands-on robotics
projects, flight simulator challenges, and field trips to major
industries and corporations. In his Build and Soar program,
60 students from failing schools built an airplane from scratch in
just ten weeks and then watched Irving pilot it into the clouds.
“We want to create a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students
to take ownership and accomplish something amazing,” he
notes. “Meaningful, real-world learning experiences fire up the
neurons in kids’ minds. If you don’t do that, you’ve lost them.
Purposeful, inspiring activities increase the chance they’ll stay on
that learning and career path. We’ve had one young lady receive
a full scholarship to Duke University as a math major, and several
young men are now pilots, engineers, and aircraft mechanics.”
“It’s great to reach a few hundred kids every year,” he says,
“but I also wanted to find a way to inspire on a larger scale.” How
about millions of kids? Irving’s next endeavor will transform a jet
into a flying classroom that will circle the globe sharing science,
technology, engineering, math, geography, culture, and history.
“This isn’t just an aircraft; it’s an exploration vehicle for learning
that will teach millions of kids in ways they’ve never been taught
before—making them part of the expedition and research.”
A web-based experience will make it easy for kids to participate
at home and school, voting on everything from where Irving
should make a fuel stop to what local food he should sample. He
plans to call classrooms from the cockpit; broadcast live video
from 45,000 feet; blog with students; collect atmospheric data;
communicate with the International Space Station; and wear a
NASA3
body suit that transmits his heart rate, blood pressure, and
other vital signs.
Along the way, kids will have a virtual window on about
75 ground expeditions, including Machu Picchu, the Galápagos
Islands, the Pyramids, the Serengeti Plains, the Roman Coliseum,
the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China. Cameras will provide
360-degree panoramic views of destinations from ancient
archeological sites to Hong Kong skyscrapers. Apps will track
adventures such as shark tagging, giving students ongoing
location and water temperature data.
A steady stream of challenges will let kids compete to solve
problems ranging from evacuating populations after tsunamis to
collecting trash in space. “We also want to create a forum where
3. NASA abbr. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

tackling (TAK lihng) v.
dealing with or handling a
problem or situation

8

CLOSE READ
ANNOTATE: Mark details in
paragraph 11 that describe
the "virtual window."
QUESTION: Why do you
think the writer has listed
so many details?
CONCLUDE: What do
these details lead you to
conclude about the scope
of Irving's project?
accomplish (uh KOM plish)
v. carry out; finish or
complete
purposeful (PUR puhs fuhl)
adj. having a clear aim
or goal

9

10

11

12

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NOTES

kids, parents, and teachers can speak to astronauts, scientists, and
other specialists.”
This “Journey for Knowledge” flight is scheduled to depart in
2013 and will make Irving the youngest person ever to fly to all
seven continents.
Perhaps Irving’s most compelling educational tool is the
example his own life provides. After landing his record-breaking
flight at age 23, he smiled out at the airfield crowd and said,
“Everyone told me what I couldn’t do. They said I was too
young, that I didn’t have enough money, experience, strength,
or knowledge. They told me it would take forever and I’d never
come home. Well . . . guess what?” ❧

GPT-4o mini · Answer

An example that supports Barrington Irving's statement, "I like to do things people say I can't do," is his decision to fly solo around the world after facing significant obstacles. Despite being told he was too young, lacking sufficient funding, experience, and knowledge, he pursued his dream undeterred. Irving not only faced over 50 rejections for sponsorship but also took off without essential equipment like weather radar and de-icing systems, demonstrating his determination to succeed against the odds. Ultimately, he completed his historic flight, becoming the youngest person and the only African American to achieve this feat, thereby exemplifying his belief in overcoming challenges others deemed insurmountable.