9 minute read
Sean O’Donnell: Newtown Square’s Pilot of Positive Outlook on Life
Resident Feature by Christina Manning
Thanks to Alpha Century Security of Newtown Square for sponsoring our Resident Feature.
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This month, we’re pleased and honored to introduce you to Newtown Square resident Sean O’Donnell, a pilot, Engineer, traveler, musician and motivational speaker.
Sean was born in the Brewerytown section of Philadelphia, and attended St. Francis Xavier grade school before moving to Miquon, PA and attending St. Phillip Neri grade school. He started playing the piano at age 10, then moved onto the guitar, and around that time, he also developed an affinity to play “any machine with a throttle.”
At LaSalle College High School, Sean played several team sports, but he discovered that his passion was being a Student Athletic Trainer when he realized that’s where he could “have the most impact helping people remain healthy.” Sean was also a lifeguard, another way he enjoyed helping people.
On September 18, 1995, a few weeks after Sean started his Senior year in high school, he endured a life-changing injury: While riding his motorcycle home from school, he was hit by a distracted driver. Even though the impact happened at only 9mph, it threw him from his bike. Sean landed on a rock and broke his back, making him a T-4 Complete Paraplegic, which means he doesn’t feel anything from his chest down. “From day one in the hospital, my dad gave me a challenge to get back to school before November 1,” said Sean. The doctors were not on board, but Sean and his father thought differently.
On October 31, Sean checked himself out of rehab hospital. “I never returned to rehab. I learned all they were going to teach me and made the conscious decision to leave the hospital and start applying the lessons.” Exactly 42-days after his accident, Sean returned to high school and graduated with his class with a 3.8 GPA.
Sean speaking to an audience of 1000 at Phenom, a motivational conference
Photo from the collection of Sean O’Donnell
Sean then attended Villanova University’s College of Engineering, and graduated in 2000 with a degree in Computer Engineering. While in college, he raced wheelchairs semi-professionally. He also started doing some public speaking and was making an impact regarding accessibility on campus. “This was the mid-’90s,” explained Sean, “the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was still very new, and organizations were struggling with how to comply and make places accessible.” His first speaking engagement was at Kendrick High School, about two months after his accident.
Sean didn’t expect his story could really inspire people, but his doctor’s advice motivated him to try and help others through the telling of his story. Since that first speaking engagement, Sean has found a passion and purpose in telling his story so audiences can feel motivated to overcome their struggles in life, knowing they also have what it takes to make it through and succeed. Over the past 25 years, Sean has been booked for over 500 speaking engagements.
As a Villanova undergrad, Sean created a successful prototype of an online Master’s program system, and shortly after graduation, he was hired to continue designing and developing it, which he did for the next 12 years. The program had over 300 students taking one of six online Master’s degree programs offered. “It became the most successful department in the College of Engineering, and generated over $2 million in revenue every year,” Sean recalled. “The same system is still used today at Villanova, and it enabled them to survive the COVID-19 pandemic by easily transitioning all classes online. That was really rewarding to see!” Sean said proudly.
In 2012, Sean retired from that position, to broaden his experiences, seek new challenges and possibly recreate in new positions the early successes he had achieved. Sean went on to consult in building the online programs for 60 other universities.
He also served as an Executive Vice President for the Uncommon Individual Foundation. A Devon, PA, nonprofit founded in 1986 by Dr. Richard Caruso, their Mission is to help individuals and organizations recognize the power of mentoring to achieve success. Through the foundation’s five mentoring programs — Corporate, Education, Entrepreneur, Media and Technology — participants come to understand and appreciate the role mentoring has in achieving personal success, inspiring change and making a positive contribution to society.
Sean O'Donnell O’Donnell with his Sky Arrow plane at Chester County Airport
Photo by Sierra Clark Photography www.SierraClarkPhoto.com
Sean said that since he was young, he felt “the flying spirit” in him. “After I saw The Right Stuff and Top Gun, I knew flying was something I wanted to do!” In 2005, when he was 27, Sean had the opportunity to take a ride with another Newtown Square resident, Dr. Bob McAndrew, in his Pitts S2B.
Even though that flight made Sean sick to his stomach, the experience far outweighed the bad, and Sean immediately began researching how to get his pilot license. Due to his disability, he needed a plane that has hand controls, specifically for the rudder inputs, which pilots usually control with their feet. “It was not an easy task because I could find only one plane that has that type of design,” recalled Sean. After hours of online searching, he finally found the plane for him: the Sky Arrow.
Soon thereafter, he discovered Able Flight (www.AbleFlight.org), a nonprofit that offers people with disabilities scholarships to learn to fly the Sky Arrow. Sean applied, was granted a scholarship, and in June 2007, he moved to Oshkosh, WI, for daily training.
On July 13, Sean soloed for the first time; ten days later, he became a licensed pilot. “I never worked harder at anything in my life, and nowhere had I ever found a more practical application of STEM that I had studied in school. It was magical watching science come to practical life!” exclaimed Sean.
He felt the need to give back to Able Flight for helping make his dreams come true, so he decided to buy his own Sky Arrow and make it available to the program so that others could train, thereby expanding the program and helping more people.
Sean flying his Sky Arrow plane during a perfect sunset
Photo from the collection of Sean O’Donnell
Sean’s plane, a Magnaghi Sky Arrow LSA made in Italy, is a twoseat modern aircraft made mostly of carbon fiber. It has elegant and removable hand controls that allow you to fly without the use of your feet. “The wing is above you and the engine is behind you,” Sean described, “and it gives the pilot and the passenger the view of a lifetime.” The Sky Arrow is extremely versatile, and can land almost everywhere, from grass to international airports. “I get to do something that kings and queens for centuries dreamed of — to fly!”
Sean says flying is fun but not easy: It requires absolute concentration to manage everything the airplane and the weather can deal to you. “It’s my therapy. No matter how hard a day I’m having, once I’m in a plane, all of that goes away,” explained Sean, “I’m inexorably drawn into the task of completely flying that plane so that I, my passengers and everyone on the ground feels safe.” Beyond that, he can share this experience.
After making his Sky Arrow available to Able Flight trainees, Sean went on to run his own flight school for 10 years. He also became a spokesperson for Able Flight, and now serves on their advisory board. Since Sean received his scholarship, the program has awarded 113 more scholarships and licensed more than 85 pilots with disabilities ranging from paralysis to amputees to the deaf. Sean says “If there is a way, we will find it!”
Sean playing his guitar with singer Alana Reina
Photo from the collection of Sean O’Donnell
Sean has lived in Newtown Square for nine years. “Finding a beautiful home that’s accessible and in a great area was not an easy task,” Sean said. ”I must have visited 50 homes and probably drove my realtor nuts!” But Sean’s persistence paid off: He found the perfect home for him, in Florida Park. “There are so many good people in my neighborhood who are willing to help anyone, and the Delco-accents always make me smile.” Sean was “the middle” of five children growing up; his home is now conveniently located in the middle of his siblings’ homes, and a convenient place to host family gatherings.
One of Sean’s favorite quotes is by Calvin Coolidge:
Sean O’Donnell in the cockpit of his Sky Arrow plane
Photo by Sierra Clark Photography www.SierraClarkPhoto.com
When asked about his future plans, Sean said:
As long as Sean is doing work that helps people, he’s achieving his goals.
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Do you know a Newtown Square Resident or Family who should become known by our community? Tell us who readers of our magazine would like to meet in an upcoming issue. Make your nominations for upcoming magazine features about Newtown Square’s residents, youth, seniors or non-profits groups by emailing your ideas to: Christina Manning at CManning@BestVersionMedia.com.
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