Published by Eric Epplett on Tue, Oct 18, 2016
Attending WMU's Aviation Summer Camp
Reina Cooke
Aviation Management and Operations
Two years ago, I hadn’t graduated high school yet. I was flying full speed ahead towards my senior year and my summer was packed with service trips, ACT prep, college tours, and a job. When I first discovered Western held an Aviation Summer Camp, I wasn’t originally sure if I would be able to fit it into my schedule. However, making the time was the best choice I made regarding my ultimate career and college decision.
First, coming to camp reaffirmed that aviation was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. The week is filled with multiple activities and events that opened my eyes to the rest of the industry and precisely what I needed to do to get my foot in the door. Speakers from the industry provide insight and answer questions that I hadn’t been given the opportunity to ask before. Flight planning and flying was a new experience for me. Also, as aviation isn’t as common of a career path, I was surrounded by people who shared the same passion as me for the first time.
Secondly, I made connections with the counselors and staff that have continued to impact me today. As aviation is such a small industry, connections are something that are stressed from the very beginning of your professional career. One of the counselors happened to be just beginning his air traffic control career (my intended career path also) and he has kept in touch often and proved a fantastic resource for any questions. He even invited me for a tour of the center and tower where he works. The College of Aviation’s staff, who helps on move in day, recognized me and made me even feel more at home on my first day of college. Today, I work with many of my fellow campers and even counselors.
Furthermore, spending a week in the dorm gave me familiarity with the campus and made finding my way on my first day of freshman year much less stressful. Last but not least, the week was just fun. Besides all the aviation related activities, we went laser tagging, go karting, mini golfing, even scuba diving. Simply playing card games at night, making jokes on the ride to the airport, or sharing funny stories… that week, I met the people who are my best friends today. We stayed in touch via Facebook and Snapchat throughout our senior year of high school and reconnected when we all moved on campus to begin our first year at WMU. Now, our sophomore year, I’m roommates with two of them. Coming to Western’s Aviation Summer Camp put me where I am today and I will always be thankful for making the time to attend.
**Aviation Summer Camp 2017 will be held June 25-30, 2017 and July 9-14, 2017. More details can be found here.