High School Students Get Inspired To Enter Aviation Industry

Getting business mentors into high school classrooms to help inspire students toward future careers is a prime goal of Mentoring Mission non-profit, based in Chicago. On September 23, students from Chicago Public Schools’ Schurz High School and Whitney Young High School heard from two experts in the aviation industry about the great career opportunities available in aviation, especially aviation maintenance.

Boeing’s Dr. Joshua Cummins, Senior Manager – Safety Management System, spoke to seniors at Schurz enrolled in auto mechanics and to Whitney Young’s Aerospace Club. He shared his passion for aviation with the students and reminded them that in the first 100 years, “We went from the Wright Brothers’ first flight to being able to fit the length of the first flight inside a Boeing 747!”

Brandon Gosline, Manager, Aircraft Maintenance for FedEx in Chicago, talked to sophomores in Schurz’s auto mechanics program. Gosline said: “The aviation industry is in high demand for motivated, hard-working and positive people. From aircraft mechanics, to pilots, engineers, and so much more. It is a fast-paced, rewarding field with great pay and benefits. It was a true pleasure to speak with the class and to see so many interested in taking the paths less tread by students leaving high school. The future is bright for those that chase their passion!”

“Igniting passion into high school students as they look toward their future and all its possibilities is what Mentoring Mission is all about,” said Carol Valentino-Barry, the founder and executive director. After finding out from her contacts in the airline industry that airline mechanics are badly needed – now and for the future - she is working on programs that would tap into high school students as an important solution to the mechanics shortage. More importantly, it is a source of great career opportunities that students can begin to train for now.

Ian Falk and Charlie Hernandez, members of Whitney Young Aerospace Club, felt that having Dr. Cummins on hand was a real benefit. “It was so great to meet someone who has worked in the field for so long. His insights on college were very interesting and it opened my eyes to some of the different paths available in my future,” Hernandez said. Falk agreed, “Talking to Dr. Cummins was a great way to gain perspectives on my future in aerospace.”

“Schurz High School is looking at the possibility of trying a cohort of students in the Aviation Maintenance Technician pathway,” said Valentino-Barry. Darryl McFarlin, who teaches auto mechanics at Schurz, said, “I would like to thank Dr. Cummins from Boeing and Mr. Gosline from FedEx for taking the time to share their experiences with me and my students. I am hoping that we can work together in the near future to expose my students to aviation technology so they may have an opportunity to go into this field of choice.”

For more information about Mentoring Mission and the Career Pipeline, visit www.mentoringmission.org.