Hoping to Work for Ward Air, a personal story, by Muriel Kuchison

A high school student yearns for the life of a stewardess but ends up in front of a blackboard.

It was my heart's desire to be an airline stewardess. Ward Air was just advertising for employees as I entered Grade 10. On my first day of high school at St. Mary’s, our teachers informed us that all of us should reconsider going into matriculation. We would not be able to handle it. We should take the business classes. This was an all-girls school, St. Mary’s in Calgary.

When I went home and mentioned this to my father, he made on definitive statement, “If I can do it – you can.” I took my matriculation, but continued with my dream of becoming a stewardess.

When I graduated, I was planning to go to the Ward Air offices to apply. Once again, my dad intervened saying he would like me to attend university for one year. Then I was forced to make a choice. I didn’t want to be a nurse, I didn’t want to be a home economist, so I went into Education for two years. Fortunately, I am very happy that I made that choice. I loved my work.