2016 AMT Next Gen Award: Hilary Kerkstra

Hilary Kerkstra, 24, is a Turbine Engine Technician at Pratt & Whitney Engine Services, Battle Creek, MI.

While attending Western Michigan University she wanted to take flight lessons but the cost made her reassess options and she focused on maintenance which she loves. "It was the right choice and I love what I do," she says. While in college Kerkstra was awarded a scholarship for a King Air maintenance training course. The award was sponsored by CAE Simuflite, and awarded by the Frank P. Macartney Foundation.

Kerkstra was hired at Pratt & Whitney right out of college. She has been employed there for a little over two years. The company mainly performs hot section inspections on PW500 and PW300 series engines, although it occasionally does PT6 and JT15D work, too. She travels around the country to support customers' AOG requirements, perform borescope inspections, or anything else required. Her responsibilities include disassembling, inspecting, and assembling engines. She is also certified to build and balance disks/rotors. She has a commercial single engine pilot's license, with tailwheel and complex endorsements.

Kerkstra was nominated by Jeremy Hierholzer, faculty specialist at Western Michigan University: "Hilary was a model student and continues to be a model alumni who gives back to her school. When Hilary was a student at Western Michigan University, she was elected to the position of secretary in SkillsUSA, a new student group in the College of Aviation. She attacked the position with her usual enthusiasm and was a driving force in developing a new student organization. As an alumni, Hilary has come back each year in the spring to judge the turbine engine parts competition at the SkillsUSA state competition. Hilary provides the parts and manuals for the contest as well as her time. Hilary spends extra time before the contest speaking with current students about aviation maintenance and her role at Pratt & Whitney."

To give back to the industry Kerkstra participates in events at her alma mater. Western Michigan University sponsors a SkillsUSA chapter, and every year it holds a competition. She volunteers to judge these competitions and has also been a guest speaker for SkillsUSA and for various maintenance classes.

She is currently working toward her master’s degree in aviation. Kerkstra wants to work somewhere in the space sector, "because I would love to travel to space someday. My goal is that the master’s degree I am pursuing will qualify me for the astronaut program."