AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2023 - 62

students eventually found out, " they were impressed and asked
me many questions, " he said. One of his graduates came back
to the school and told him the high school had not prepared
him for the possibilities in engineering, specifically aviation.
" I thought, how selfish of me that I had not shared with students
that I am a pilot. " That former student now flies for Delta.
De Leon now proudly shares his stories about flying, in hopes
that other students might choose to become pilots themselves.
" My life is pretty much their life, " De Leon said. " They can
see me as an example of what is possible. "
De Leon said teaching the course makes him feel like a
new teacher again. The class meets daily, and his students can
return after school and on Saturdays to practice flying the simulators.
The hands-on activities give them a chance to compete
to their fullest potential, De Leon said.
Before the class, his students didn't know about career
options in aviation or steps to become a pilot, or even how to
get to the airport. " It's piqued their curiosity, " De Leon said.
Show the possibilities
De Leon discovered AOPA's You Can Fly curriculum in 2016
after reading about it in this magazine. " We learned about the
great need for pilots, and I got the conversation started, " he
said. He attended the program demonstration at AOPA headquarters
in 2018. He not only convinced the school system to
invest in it but convinced several of his fellow educators to
become pilots.
" Aviation is my passion, " he said. " And I knew it is another
entry point for our students to become excited about STEM
programs. We will guide our students; we are excited to be
riding this wave. "
Selling his school principal Delarosa was easy; she's a passionate
educator with a background in science. Dynamic and
charismatic, she believes in promoting her school and her students.
Covering the walls throughout the school are photos of
student ceremonies, awards, and group activities-and she is
in every one. In her nine years as principal, Delarosa has been
instrumental in raising the funding for the programs in aviation
and robotics. The school secured $2.7 million from the
New York City council and $2.5 million from then NYC Mayor
Bill de Blasio.
" I knew the potential, " she said. " I could see the
windows and doors opening. And of course, we owe a great
deal to AOPA. "
" She is the reason we have this program, " said De Leon.
" In a school system there are two types of principals: the
administrator or the leader. Yecenia is a leader. She recognizes
that every member of her team, aside from their educational
training, brings other sets of skills and experience that can be
utilized to enrich and expand the educational experience of the
students. Being a leader requires having vision, and because
Yecenia is a leader, I was able to propose to her the idea of creating
an aviation program in the school. "
Participants in AOPA's program are more representative
of what society looks like than the industry itself. Of the more
than 16,000 students enrolled in the AOPA program across the
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AOPA PILOT / September 2023
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2023

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