Henderson State aviation program to add mentors

ARKADELPHIA — Aviation students at Henderson State University will soon have another option when it comes to taking upper-level electives.

Troy Hogue, director of the department of aviation at Henderson, helped fashion the aviation mentorship course, which will be available for students in fall 2013.

Hogue said this one-hour course will give students a one-on-one opportunity to talk to professionals in the aviation field on a weekly basis.

“Most students in the aviation program don’t have family members in the aviation field to talk to about actually working in the field,” Hogue said.

Hogue orchestrated with other members of the aviation department to get the course developed, and he is working to bring in alumni, along with other aviation professionals, to volunteer for the course.

“We’re going to get creative with the course,” Hogue said. “If one of the pilots is out on a trip, he can still visit with the student via Skype.”

Hogue said the insight these professionals will give to students will be beneficial in helping them complete their journey to working in the aviation field.

“This will show the students someone who has gone through the same process they have, and how [the mentors] are successful in the field,” Hogue said.

To complete the course, students must keep a reflective journal of discussions, interviews and observations made during time spent with their mentors. The students must then present their observations to the class at the end of the semester.

“We’re going to limit [the class] to 10 students,” Hogue said. The class size will be dependent on how many mentors volunteer their time to the course and could eventually grow as the course develops.

“[Choosing students] is going to be

a selective process because we want to

pair the right person with the right

mentor,” Hogue said.

Hogue said there are different branches of aviation that Henderson students can go into, which would distinguish the type of mentor the student would be paired with, such as an airline, corporate or military pilot.

“This mentorship will give the students a better idea of

their career goals,” Hogue said. The ultimate goal of this

program, Hogue said, is to close all of the gaps in learning the university can.

“This will get students more directly involved in aviation,” Hogue said. “There’s only so much you can do in the classroom.”

Hogue said he anticipates that the program will be a success because of the support he’s seen from the alumni and mentors who have volunteered.

Aaron Dickson, a junior aviation student at Henderson, said he is interested in being a part of the mentorship course when it becomes available.

“Normally, we have professional aviators that come in and hit the highlights of [working in aviation],” Dickson said. “This will be on a personal basis, and we’ll appreciate [aviation] more.”

Staff writer Lisa Burnett can be reached at (501)244-4307 or lburnett@arkansasonline.com.

Zoned Editions Staff Writer Lisa Burnett can be reached at 501-244-4307 or lburnett@arkansasonline.com.