Airline Maintenance Pros Inspire Westmoor H.S. Students

This month, students in Mr. Dyssegard's Aviation Maintenance class at Westmoor High School in Daly City got a real-life taste of what it means to be involved in airline maintenance – both in commercial aviation and in the military. The school is part of the Choose Aerospace pilot program for high school students managed by ATEC (The Aviation Technician Education Council). They are using online curriculum to learn the general portion of the A and P certification curriculum for Aviation Maintenance.

On Friday, October 8, the aerospace students had a field trip to Oakland Airport, organized by the U.S. Air Force. The students were able to talk with U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aviation mechanics and see the inner workings of the F-16 and F-18 jets. (see student comments at end of this article).

A week before, airline industry managers from Alaska Airlines and medical drone company Zipline came to the Aviation Maintenance class to talk about the need and the many possibilities for exciting careers in that field.

Mark Bosuego, Manager of Airline Maintenance for Alaska Airlines in the San Francisco region of California, enthusiastically said to the students on September 30: "Aviation, now more than ever, needs smart, dedicated people to keep our world's aircraft flying safely. If you love a challenge, and yearn for a little travel and adventure, then becoming an aircraft technician is your first step into an exciting career!"

The following day, Kim Pritchard, Technical Training Manager for Zipline, applauded the program: "There is hope after all, thanks to Choose Aerospace, and those involved in Jefferson Union High School District's newest program! As a manager within the aviation maintenance community, I know first-hand how difficult it is to find talent to fill the current and talent pipeline that is expected to drive demand for years to come."

The Need for Airline Maintenance Technicians
It is the airline industry's current and future need for aviation mechanics that spurred Mentoring Mission non-profit's Carol Valentino-Barry to link high school districts like Jefferson Union with the Choose Aerospace program. She said, "We want to light a fire under high school students who often need direction and inspiration about possible future careers – especially those careers that provide opportunities for meaningful work and compensation. And, we need people from those industries to mentor and inspire our young people. That's why I invited Zipline's Kim Pritchard and Alaska Air's Mark Bosuego to come and speak to the students in the Aviation Mechanics class at Westmoor."

The Pilot Program at Westmoor H.S.
And how does instructor David Dyssegard feel the Aviation Maintenance program is going at Westmoor? He said, "The curriculum is relevant, in-line with current standards and easy to navigate at the student level. Choose Aerospace online program makes it possible for students to work at their own pace and as an instructor, I can view the progress of an entire class or a single individual. The current strategy is a combination of industry support and individual mentoring for students that will enhance their skills and make them employment ready."

Denise Shreve, coordinator of the Choose Aerospace program for Jefferson Union High School District, is excited about introducing this program into the curriculum: "JUHSD is committed to preparing students with 21st Century Skills; they are essential for success in today's world. Choose Aerospace curriculum includes critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation in the learning modules. We are excited to bring in industry partners, such as Alaska Airlines and Zipline to ensure students can thrive in a world where change is constant and learning never stops."

Students Comment about their Field Trip
Students who went on the field trip to Oakland Airport wrote essays about their experience. Here are some brief excerpts:

J.P. - student:
"This field trip was very informative and fun as we got to have a really in-depth look at the planes…Seeing the undercarriage and the wheel systems was fascinating as you got to see the redundancies along with the various systems required to have them in working order…. Because the F-16 and an F/A-18 were right next to each other you could see the difference – and how beefed up the F/A-18 was compared to the F-16…I think that meeting the mechanics was just as interesting since they are what keeps these planes flying…"

K. K. - student:
"We were fascinated to see the six Blue Angels planes all lined up! Just think about it – we got to see, up close, the planes that have been performing for years – something that not everyone has the opportunity to do….Mr. Harper, an Air Force maintenance worker for 12 years, was eager to show us the Viper Demo which also performs at the air show. He showed us, in every detail, the different parts of the plane and how it was different from the Blue Angels planes….We got to hear the ear-deafening twin turbo engines of the Blue Angels as the first one took off…..I left the airport with my teachers and friends an elated, stunned student!"

A.S. - student:
"I learned a lot of cool things about the F-16's and how hard it can be to work on some of these jets….When talking about the job of being an aviation mechanic though I appreciated the realness of the job and how it's genuinely hard. I really like how they explained that for them they gained satisfaction from repairing a jet and watching it go back into the air. That to me really showed how real it was to the mechanics and that the job being hard is what gives them that satisfaction… I really appreciate being given the opportunity to see these types of jets and see the life behind being an aviation mechanic."

About Mentoring Mission and Carol Valentino-Barry:
Carol Valentino-Barry, a freelance educator from Chicago, Illinois, established Mentoring Mission after a career in business followed by many years in secondary education. Mentoring has a lasting impact on a student's future life achievement, creates opportunity, and influences a new generation of leaders. Her projects bring together business and education to help students see various options for their futures. For nine years, she coordinated projects for her students with a major airline in Chicago. Her sons also worked and interned in the airline's technical operations when she learned first-hand about the shortage of aviation mechanics. The latest initiative of Mentoring Mission is to open the door to opportunities for high school students to learn aviation maintenance. Mentoring Mission supports the Harvard Business School and Gates Foundation's Lasting Impact Study and U.S. Competitiveness Research objectives for authentic partnerships between education and business to better prepare tomorrow's workforce with scalable program with proven results. For more information: www.mentoringmission.org

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