Over 145 middle and high school Federal Way Public Schools scholars explored careers in the aviation industry at Alaska Airlines Aviation Day on May 4.

Co-hosted by The Port of Seattle and Boeing, this event provided students with a firsthand look into the various careers that the aviation industry offers.

Along with more than 1,200 students in the Puget Sound region, FWPS scholars had the opportunity to fly in a 737 flight simulator, tour a variety of airplanes including a 737, build gliders and go through mock flight attendant training complete with exiting out of an evacuation slide.

Highlights of the event included several career discussions with pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers. During these discussions, scholars were able to connect with professionals and ask questions about aviation careers.

“The pilot discussion was great,” said a Federal Way High School scholar. “The pilot gave a lot of helpful tips on how I could go into the aviation industry.”

Another scholar from Todd Beamer High School shared how this event allowed her to gather information and network in the aviation industry. “I really liked getting

the opportunity to talk to the pilots and specifically the pilots at the women in aviation booth,” she said.

Other activities included going through a pre-flight tour with aircraft maintenance workers and meeting with representatives from local higher education organizations.

Opportunities like this allow scholars to learn about and explore different career pathways to better prepare themselves for post-secondary opportunities. This experience supports persistence to graduation and access to STEAM experiences, part of goal five of the district strategic plan.