Ada Aviation Program Helps Students Explore Possible Careers

Dec. 3—The Ada Aviation Program hosted over 200 Oklahoma aviation students at an Aviation Career/Post-Secondary Education Fair Wednesday at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex.

"The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission received a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration," Chris Eckler, Director of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) and Ada High aviation instructor said Wednesday. "the grant named five Oklahoma schools as 'Aviation Schools of Excellence.' Ada High has had our aviation program for over six years, so we were one of the first schools to be named."

Eckler said Ada is a hub for ten area schools: Ada, Atoka, Elmore City-Pernell, Norman, Paoli, Pauls Valley, Putnam City, Tupelo, Washington, Wayne, and Wynnewood.

"The schools that attended today were Tupelo, Atoka, Norman, and Ada," Eckler said.

"I think that these kids really don't know the career options that are out there," Eckler added. "For me, there were a lot of things I didn't know about an aviation career. So my goal here is to help these kids understand what they could do to enter the workforce right out of high school to create a six-figure career."

Aviation and aerospace are two of Oklahoma's biggest and fastest-growing fields.

"That sector is growing exponentially," Eckler said, "so these kids are set up for success."

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