"You Are Always Able to Help"
Theoretically, we all have 24 hours in each day. However, there are probably very few people who put as much into every one of those hours as Eliana Tucker does!
Let’s start with the fact that she chose WMAA because she wanted to be challenged. “I love school,” she says. “I’m not interested in aviation, but I’m really fascinated by biomedical engineering. I also like computer science. My brother’s WMAA experience showed me that this was where I wanted to be.”
But then there’s more. Eliana is also an accomplished ballet dancer. “I got into dance when I was in first grade,” she recalls. “I was really bad! But I stayed with it, and now it’s my passion.” Eliana dances with the Grand Rapids Junior Ballet, and the time commitment is staggering. “It’s a little challenging to fit it all in,” Eliana admits. “It’s pretty normal for me to leave the house at 7:00am and not get home until 9:00pm, sometimes six or seven days a week."
Eliana appreciates WMAA’s emphasis on volunteering. “The graduation requirement made me look into ways to volunteer, but now I do it on my own,” she explains. “Math and science are important, but volunteering makes you a well-rounded person. It shows you why you are doing everything else. And I’ve learned that you’re always able to help in some way, no matter what skills you have."
"I Want to Be the Best Person I Can Be"
Bridget’s focus on character and achievement is what led her to WMAA. “I was homeschooled through middle school,” she shares. “My brother was at WMAA, so I added this to my tour of high schools. I liked the organization of WMAA, the staff, and the student body, so I chose to come here.”
And she was not disappointed.
“I love that WMAA puts so much emphasis on character. We are taught to treat others as we want to be treated. That‘s important. We are all human and we all deserve respect.”
While she was in high school, Bridget also applied her energies to scouting. Bridget earned the highly-respected rank of Eagle Scout on December 1, 2020. Why was this so important to her? “We talk a lot about being prepared in scouting,” she notes. “You have to demonstrate that you are ready for anything life throws your way. You also have to demonstrate leadership. Being an Eagle Scout fits my personal values very well because I want to be the best person I can be. I don’t ever want to do anything that would cause people not to come to me with a need.”
Bridget says her experiences in both scouting and high school have helped her narrow down her post-WMAA plans. “I’m leaning towards forensic science,” she shares. “One of the reasons I’m interested in this career is because I would be helping people who can’t help themselves. I would be speaking for those who no longer have a voice.”
“The Bonus is Character Development”
The Franks’ path to WMAA started when Aaron was only 10 years old. At the time, Mark, Loree, and their son Adam lived near Detroit. They took Aaron to the flying camp at Oakland Yard Athletics.
“Aaron was not at all sure he wanted to do this, “ Loree recalls. “But we encouraged him. He tried it, and loved it!”
A friend recommended that the Franks check into high schools that participated with the Civil Air Patrol. That’s when meticulous mom Loree started researching. “I found three options: one in Novi, one in Detroit, and one in Grand Rapids,” she remembers. “We came to WMAA for a tour, and Aaron got very excited. Other schools had great programs, but WMAA’s focus on character development was the bonus for us.”
As Aaron wrapped up his first year at WMAA, both Mark and Loree were surprised by the outcome. “The first year was tough,” Loree admits. “Aaron struggled with his homework, and it was hard to be away from his friends. But he got really excited when he started planning for 10th grade. Now that excitement is motivating him. He’s doing better with his homework. He has made good friends who inspire him.”
Mark and Loree also agree that struggle is okay. “Kids who struggle in high school do better in college because they have learned to persevere,” she notes. “We wanted Aaron to learn the value of hard work and commitment. Our entire WMAA journey thus far has certainly met these goals!”
Students with Staying Power
“My family is originally from Ontario,” says Evelyn Kralt. “We moved to the United States 10 years ago, but my dad’s work took him back at the end of my junior year. Quebec students end their high school education in 11th grade and then spend two years in a pre-university school called a CEGEP. If I had gone back with my family, I would have been in limbo. I would not have a high school degree from either country, and I would not be able to start college, either.”
So Evelyn stayed in Grand Rapids to finish school and fulfill her dream of earning a private pilot license, which began in middle school.
“I attended a camp for girls interested in STEM, sponsored by Grand Valley State University,” she recalls. “We toured WMAA, rode in a small plane, flew the simulators, and saw the radio-controlled planes in the air. I was hooked!”
Evelyn has been involved in the radio-controlled flight club since her freshman year and was elected as the club’s first female president. “The RC club is a fantastic opportunity to spend time with the aviation instructors,” she says. “You learn basic stuff about planes, like aerodynamics, but you also get to interact with the staff and older student mentors. Now, as a senior, I’m instructing younger students. I’m learning leadership skills, both as the president of the club and as a mentor.”
Evelyn is committed to her education and to WMAA. “Yes, it’s hard to be separated from my family, but this is where I should be and I’m doing what I want to do.”
This Young Man is Going Places
Luke has some fairly unique interests. He’s probably one of the few young men you’ll ever meet who started his 18th birthday celebration by registering to vote. He’s passionate about politics and U.S. history, fascinated by engineering, and all in when it comes to liberal arts. He’s also a self-described “Supreme Court nerd” whose hero is Antonin Scalia.
And he is a young man with a purpose. “I came to WMAA because I was looking for something different in high school,” he recalls. “I thought aviation was cool, but it wasn’t really my focus.” He is, however, laser-focused on technology. “First, I want to get my electrical engineering degree,” he says. “Then I want to go on to law school so that I can work in patent and intellectual property law.”
Luke is also the recipient of the 2019 Gulfstream scholarship for WMAA students. Gulfstream is a long-time partner of WMAA, providing this scholarship as well as other significant and ongoing support. Luke is the first recipient not specifically pursuing an aviation career. His essay, his interests and his skills compelled the awards committee to invest in his future. “We are learning incredible life skills here,” Luke notes.
“We’re learning to be ladies and gentlemen. We’re learning to be polite and respectful. We need civility in politics, in business and in life. Education is great, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have personal integrity to go with it.”
An Inspiring Flight plan
“I am interested in nursing, specifically in anesthesiology,” says Karlie.
“The medical profession requires a strong background in math and science, which is one of the reasons I chose WMAA. I love the AP and honors courses, and the way teachers engage with students. I can tell they want to be here.”
Karlie has discovered an unexpected (and thrilling) challenge through the aviation program. “I fell in love with aviation when I took my required courses,” she says. “I’m working toward flight school so I can learn to fly.” Although aviation is not her ultimate career goal, she is committed to the program for her own self-development. “Flying is cool,” she says simply.
Here’s where more of that “flight plan” comes into the picture. Students invest approximately $8,000 for flight school. Karlie knew her parents would be hard-pressed to put two kids through the program. So she has started a literal nest egg to pay for it. “My great-grandma raised chickens,” Karlie shares. “I really liked them, so I built a coop and started raising my own.”
That hobby has turned into a business. She now cares for 50 hens and four roosters that supply her regular weekly customers with farm-fresh eggs. “I have saved about half of what I need for flight school,” she admits with a shy smile. “I should have enough by the time I’m a senior.”
“I don’t have much free time,” Karlie admits with a laugh. “But I love WMAA, and this is where I want to be!”
"WMAA Has Crazy Opportunities!"
How many high school students do you know that would be willing to jump to a brand new school their sophomore year because they want to work harder? Meet senior Drew Delvaux.
“I loved middle school and I had lots of friends,” Drew recalls. “But somehow when I got to high school, it was different. I didn’t really like my freshman year. It would have been easy to stay put, and I was thinking about it. But then I had to register for classes. I’m interested in computer science and there was nothing for me. The other classes were boring and generic.”
Drew’s neighbor had attended WMAA and planted the seed that this was a cool place. So Drew took the leap of faith and applied.
“Leaving all my friends and everything I knew was totally out of character for me. But I also know that transferring was the biggest and best decision I ever made."
“WMAA has crazy opportunities,” Drew enthuses. “Hopefully all these experiences will help me get into Harvard, which is my number one choice. I have taken dual enrollment computer science courses. I’m in the Build a Plane class and will be able to put on my college applications that I’ve done it. How many people can say that? I’m going to look back and say my high school was really sweet!”
Living Into the WMAA Culture
At WMAA, we intentionally instill a culture of self-discipline, leadership and courtesy. These skills don’t always come naturally for high school students. So how and where can we teach them?
Senior Meigan Lanning is learning through hands-on experience. “I never saw myself as a leader,” she candidly admits. “But last year, I had the chance to work with another student and Mr. Pavey to start the Red Tail Aviators club, spotlighting minorities in aviation. I started out as more of a follower, but worked with Mr. Pavey and my mom to develop more leadership skills. I have learned that leading sometimes means taking small steps towards a goal and seeing what happens. It also means stepping back to learn from and listen to peers. Leaders don’t only do the work themselves…they have to work effectively with others.”
“Being a leader requires you to be humbled once in a while. You have to be willing to learn. You also have to acknowledge that everything won’t be perfect…that there will be highs and lows.”
Meigan volunteered to be an orientation leader this year. “This is a different kind of leadership challenge,” she observes. “You’re working with students who don’t know each other. I learned that I have to be patient. I needed to participate in the activities because the new students were looking up to me. And I had to keep reinforcing that it’s okay to be uncomfortable, because that’s where you bond the most. What was cool is that I could see how my work had an impact. Kids who didn’t know each other came together through shared experiences. That meant they started the school year as friends, not strangers.”