Aviation partnership

Picture this. You're a 17- or 18-year-old high school student, but instead of spending the whole day in a classroom, you get to "go to school" in the sky. That's exactly what 10 students in the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center's aviation program have been doing.

Thanks to a partnership between the center's aviation program and Cape Air, students have had an opportunity to shadow pilots on round trips from Cape Girardeau to St. Louis. Students who finish the yearlong program and meet all requirements can earn a student pilot certificate, the first step in becoming a commercial pilot or flight instructor.

This is an exciting opportunity for the students, and for some it may be the first step toward a career in aviation. Some, on the other hand, may decide that flying is not for them -- and that's OK.

Job shadowing is a good idea for students, whether it's in aviation or something else. Having the chance to observe what professionals in a particular field do on a regular basis can give a young person a better understanding of the industry and help prepare them going forward in their work or advanced education.

Hats off to the center and to Cape Air for making this opportunity available to students.