Aviation High School
In 2003, Henrietta Ball asked me if I would give a presentation to her private pilot ground school class. It was a group of high school age kids at Galvin Flight Services on Boeing Field, and the group was joined by an amazing woman named Reba Gilman who approached me after the presentation and asked if I would consider helping to launch a new aviation themed high school.
I got a C- grade average in High School. This didn’t have anything to do with how smart I was, but it had everything to do with how motivated I was. When I got to college I was much more interested and got a B+ average, but I didn’t really excel in academics until I went to flight school and got straight A’s. I was so motivated that I forced myself to overcome the subjects that were difficult for me.
I had told myself that I couldn't do any more non-profit work as I was already heavily involved with three other non-profit foundations, but she really lit the fire under me and I realized that if I had been a little more motivated in high school I could have really jump-started my career. So, I joined the founding board and it has become a great source of pride for me. These students are really motivated! That motivation will take them as far as they need to go - whether they end up in an aerospace career or not. ~ Erik
www.AviationHS.org
The Mission: To prepare all students for college, career and citizenship through a personalized, rigorous and relevant learning experience that is facilitated in the context of aviation and aerospace.
