High School Students Introduced to Aviation Career Opportunities at SWIC Aviation Summer Sampler Camp

By Carmelo Turdo

High school students from Metro-East IL districts participated in the Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) Aviation Summer Sampler Camp July 17-19 at three area locations. The camp is offered as a collaboration of ROE40 STEM Initiative, Southwestern Illinois College, the Illinois Math & Science Academy, West Star Aviation and St. Louis Regional Airport. Funding was provided by the Air & Space Outreach STEM Grant through Scott AFB and the Southwestern Illinois College Foundation Grant.

The three-day camp met at SWIC's Granite City Campus on Thursday, their Belleville Campus on Friday and at St. Louis Regional Airport for Young Eagle Flights and a tour of the sprawling West Star Aviation facility on Saturday. The weather conditions curtailed the flights, but they will be rescheduled with EAA Chapter 864 for a future date.

The Aero Experience accompanied the students and staff at the SWIC Granite City campus on Thursday, and here we include some views of the day's activities. We begin with event coordinator Kelly Remijan welcoming the students at the campus commons building. She held an information session outlining the various careers in the aviation industry and provided an extensive list of resources available for later review.

Throughout the day, the students met with SWIC instructors in three major program labs - Precision Machining Technology, Avionics and Aviation Maintenance Technology. Interactive projects included programming and machining a custom name block, manipulating the avionics panels to mimic flight using vacuum and digital flight instruments, and drilling and riveting aluminum plates in the maintenance hangar. The engine runup and group photo next to the Sabreliner jet were also highlights of the day.

The day concluded with a panel discussion featuring aviation professionals from the St. Louis/Metro-East IL area:

(L-R) Moderator Jamie Gotto, SWIC Biology Faculty and Pilot/Member of Women in Aviation Intl.; Chip Strugar, Boeing 777 First Officer; Aaron Cockrell, ATP, A&P/IA, Dispatcher; Betty Jackson, CFII, former Commercial Airline Pilot and Aviation Security Professional; and Ashley Mitchell, U.S. Army Veteran, SWIC Aviation Maintenance Technology student*

*Credentials mentioned above are only those applicable to the panel discussion role; each individual holds other certifications and licenses too numerous to mention here.

Topics discussed were based on student questions, and included an overview of each panelist's career choice, the training and education needed to achieve them and where to start when exploring aviation career options. The atmosphere was informal, and students continued with one-on-one conversations after the panel concluded.

The Aero Experience thanks everyone involved in sponsoring, planning and conducting the SWIC Aviation Summer Sampler Camp, and we look forward to covering future STEM events later this year.