AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2018 - 62

great Robert "Bob" Hoover, who place that identifies an interest in first time in their life. It's exciting
valued education, humility, dig- aviation, and, like the real world, and fun to watch."
nity, and optimism.
potential aviation students "can't
She pointed to recent graduOn a typical day, students hop do drugs or be involved in gang- ate Martin Mendez as one of the
from a traditional classroom on ster" activity, Lamonea said.
school's successes. The Gabilan
the Salinas Municipal Airport
Because he's a student pilot Community College student
grounds-where they learn avia- himself, Lamonea said he can passed his airframe maintenance
tion principles, history, science, relate to the same fears that his exam and had scheduled the
English, or other core subjects- students face as they build their powerplant portion of the A&P
to a flight simulator where confidence together. The school oral and practical exams for July
aviation mentors explain the participated in AOPA's You 23. "There's an incredible diffiner points of flying,
ference in where he
or to Tucker's hangar
is headed now and
for flying.
where he was then,"
"We teach these
she said.
k i d s a b o u t e m e rTucker said
gency landings before
Mendez was so bitter
they solo," Tucker
when he first arrived
explained. "We teach
"that he actually told
THE SALINAS VALLEY is known as the salad
them to be very comthe school superbowl of the United States. Harvesting
fortable stalling the
intendent to 'F-off.'
these fertile fields takes long hours of
airplane so if there's
Just look at where
manual labor. For area teens, parents'
time in the fields often leaves them with
an emergency, there's
he is now-he has an
idle time for potential mischief.
not a panic moment. I
iron will."
cannot lose a kid," he
Mendez said
stressed. "I want to
when he was a child
make sure they fly in
and first viewed an
the best equipment,
aircraft in flight it
and that they get the
wa s "a l m o s t l i ke
best skills and trainmagic. I thought in
ing, so that they can
my head, 'I'm never
be successful. And
going to be able to do
that's not only in the airplane, Can Fly High School Initiative this.'" But when he heard about
that's in the high school curric- ninth-grade STEM curriculum, the Hoover academy, the experiulum as well. This is what's so and Lamonea recently attended ence it could afford, and the paths
wonderful about our partnership hands-on sessions during the roll to new careers, he knew he had
with Monterey County-they're out of AOPA's tenth-grade avia- found his home.
striving to do the same thing. This tion STEM curriculum.
After several hours in the
trust they have with me-they're
"We're working with these Cessna-and many more in the
betting their jobs and careers on kids each day and our goal is to classroom-Mendez built up the
this. This is a big, big gamble," get these kids to graduate from courage to continue. His eyes lit
Tucker said.
high school," said Stacey Wilson, up when he recalled the day he
Carol Tevebaugh fills the role the school's operations manager flew the little aircraft by himof flight instructor, den mother, and a helicopter-rated private self. "It was the best day ever,"
and drill sergeant. Monterey pilot. "Some of them have been the soft-spoken aviator said of his
C o u n t y t e a c h e r C h r i s t i a n expelled, put on probation, and solo. Mendez is the first pilot in
Lamonea dishes out practi- had experiences in their lives his family. "Aviation is something
cal advice and encouragement that I don't even want to repeat." really, really new for my family,"
between core classes. He said Wilson said the program "opens he added, but money is tight. He
students learn about the academy their hearts again and flying works at the Salinas airport to
through word of mouth and social allows them to smile, to laugh, to afford flight lessons and to buy
media. An interview process is in be a kid again-and maybe for the tools to fill his mechanic's toolbox.
62 | AOPA PILOT September 2018

AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2018

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