Oct. 24, 2024

Collegiate Connect, a staple of NBAA’s annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), returned this year to provide students from area high schools and colleges nationwide with valuable insights into business aviation careers, as well as opportunities to connect with companies across the industry seeking new talent.

“You’re here from all over the United States, different age groups and different backgrounds, with open minds and open hearts to what it could mean to be in business aviation,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “Hopefully when you’re here, you’ll find that business aviation is really a special part of the aviation industry.”

Bolen offered examples of NBAA’s core values that also serve as valuable career guide points. These include caring, leading from any seat, building communities and delivering excellence.

“It’s amazing what can happen if you don’t view a job as a job, but as a reflection of your personal commitment to excellence,” he added. “Something you can challenge yourself at that brings you forward. ‘I don’t want to just do fine. I want to do great.'”

Bolen also welcomed Rep. Dina Titus (D-1-NV) who serves on the Aviation Subcommittee to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “General aviation is becoming more and more important,” she told students. “It’s a growing industry because more and more people are flying, and they’re certainly flying to Las Vegas.”

Learning from Experience

Next, a panel of from the NBAA Young Professionals in Business Aviation Council (YoPro) and ‘YoPros at heart’ shared their experiences building careers in the industry.

“Business aviation has become such a home for me,” said panel moderator Julia Harrington, incoming co-chair of NBAA’s YoPro Council and lead captain and base manager for Axis Jet. “These people are my family. I’m just really excited to be here today and talk to you about what you think the future looks like for you and why this is such a wonderful, exciting career.”

Lauran Grant, a flight attendant and advisor with JetLinx, advised prospective hires to look for companies that prioritize personal growth and enabling them to lead from not only the left (pilot-in-command) seat, but any seat.

“Positive culture is so important,” she added. “People just need a safe space to land. If you feel like you have space to fail, to learn, to share ideas and to make mistakes without being judged, then you’re going to thrive.”

Jamie Munoz, general manager for Galaxy Jet at Addison Airport (ADS) in Texas, acknowledged difficult experiences throughout her 24 years in the industry informed her approach to leadership today.

“In the first 12 months we were open, we had 100% positive retention. We didn’t lose any employees to a competitor, because we are constantly trying to help them grow their career and show them opportunities,” she said.

That includes writing letters of recommendation for scholarships and connecting employees with career development programs and mentorship opportunities, including through the NBAA Mentoring Network.

“Find a mentor that drives you,” said Greg Hamelink, director of the Business Travel Center for Whirlpool. “Someone who pushes you while supporting you. That will help you get to that next step in your career.”

Dreaming Together

Two members of NBAA’s Board of Directors took the stage to compliment the panel and to also share their insights and encouragement with students.

“I want to congratulate all of you,” said Gen. Lloyd ‘Fig’ Newton. “You are in the right place, sharing and experiencing the stories of folks who’ve walked this path in front of you. Each one of you that is sitting out there, you can live your dream.”

“If you can take a fraction of what this panel has said and incorporate it into your lives, I think you will be highly successful in this industry,” added DuPont Aviation Manager Elizabeth Dornak. “I wish I’d had access to this type of brain power and vision on creating a path forward in my career.”

Students later broke into discussion groups focused on a specific industry aspect, including business management, maintenance, scheduler & dispatcher and innovation and technology. The afternoon presented attendees with the opportunity to tour the NBAA-BACE exhibit floor and meet with hiring companies.

Any person who attends an NBAA convention, conference, seminar or other program grants permission to NBAA, its employees and agents (collectively "NBAA") to record his or her visual/audio images, including, but not limited to, photographs, digital images, voices, sound or video recordings, audio clips, or accompanying written descriptions, and, without notifying such person, to use his or her name and such images for any purpose of NBAA, including advertisements for NBAA and its programs.

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