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Between the bitterness of displacement that deprived her of her simplest rights, and reaching the cockpit of commercial aircraft, the young Iraqi woman Kathrein Waseem wrote an inspiring success story in Australia, after she transformed from a child who suffered from interrupted education into the first Iraqi woman to obtain a commercial pilot license in Australia, an achievement that has garnered wide attention within the Arab community.

The story began with a decision that surprised her family after she finished high school, turning into an arduous journey that took her family from worry to pride, as their daughter became a remarkable model of determination and ambition.

Kathrein's path to the cockpit was not paved with roses; it began from the most difficult stages of her life. After leaving Iraq at the age of eight, she lived with her family in Turkey for two and a half years under difficult conditions that caused her to drop out of school, which worried her father about her educational future.

When the family moved to Australia, Kathrein was determined to make up for what she missed, and achieved remarkable academic excellence, before surprising her father with her request to study aviation.

Dawn Dream

Her father says the decision was worrying due to the nature of the aviation profession and the great responsibility it entails, as well as the possibility of being away from family. However, Kathrein's discipline and determination eased those concerns, as she would wake up before dawn and spend long hours training and preparing.

The first fruits of her efforts came quickly, as she scored 95% on her first flight test, confirming that her choice was not just a passing whim but a life project. Then came the most impactful moment for her father when she performed her first solo flight. He says: 'I felt a mix of fear, amazement, and pride as I saw my daughter flying a plane in the sky alone.'

..And her eye on Baghdad

Obtaining a commercial pilot license requires full commitment and great sacrifices, but Kathrein's ambition did not stop there. She further enhanced her career by obtaining a Multi-Engine Rating, an advanced step that increases her chances of working for major airlines.

Today, Iraqis share Kathrein's story as a model of success and determination, while her father's biggest dream remains that his daughter will one day fly a commercial aircraft carrying passengers to Baghdad, becoming the first Iraqi pilot to fly her countrymen into the skies of the homeland.