Several USC Upstate and high school students learned about career opportunities in the aviation industry during a special event Friday, Oct. 3, at the Greenville Downtown Airport.
Aviation and Aerospace Day, hosted by Upstate’s National Security and Government Institute (NSGI) and corporate partners, offered an up-close look at one of the state’s leading sectors. Students heard from leaders in the field and toured aircraft, training areas and the air traffic control tower.
Aerospace has an economic impact of more than $28 billion in South Carolina, according to the state Chamber of Commerce. More than 400 industry-related companies are located in the state, from Lockheed Martin in Greenville to Boeing in North Charleston.
Retired Maj. Gen. T. Glenn Davis, executive director of the NSGI, knows firsthand how important the field is. A native of Columbia, Davis served in the U.S. Air Force for 37 years and worked in aerospace and defense for his entire career.
He said Friday’s event was a way to introduce aviation and aerospace to not only students but also faculty and staff.
“My sense is it’s kind of a foreign concept to people,” he said. “They think … you’ve either got to fix or fly aircraft to be in aviation and that’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
Davis noted many jobs in the private sector can also be found in aerospace, such as business, finance, accounting and marketing. The work also supports critical areas such as national security and commercial travel.
Students from a variety of majors, including nursing, industrial engineering and political science, discovered how their disciplines could fit into a range of roles.
They heard presentations about air traffic control, flight maintenance, flight preparations, flight school, ground school, marketing and public relations.
In his remarks, James Stephens, Greenville Downtown Airport director, referred to the well-known slogan “the sky’s the limit.”
“I got to thinking about that one time: It’s really the opportunity for us,” Stephens said. He encouraged students to explore all options available.
Nursing major Katie Mulyar said her love of aviation began when she was 8 years old and “bit by the bug” after touring a museum in Pensacola, Florida.
Mulyar has been looking for ways to combine her major with that passion. “When I saw this opportunity, I said, ‘I have to do it,’” she said.
She was excited to learn from Christian Sasfai, president of Stevens Aerospace, that Stevens’ Greenville location has an onsite nurse to assist with employee wellness.
Don Bent, USC Upstate’s executive in residence, advised students to “look for things that excite you.”
“The key is if you find something that you really are passionate about and love, regardless of your background, you can find a path to be successful if you’re creative and take a look at the big picture,” Bent said.
Events like Aviation and Aerospace Day help students learn early about careers they may not have heard about or considered, he noted. “It’s a great opportunity for our students to find themselves and what they want to do so that when they do graduate, they know right where they want to be.”
Those interested in military-related aviation careers have a new option, too. A recent agreement with Clemson University allows Upstate students to participate in Air Force ROTC classes at Clemson and earn credit toward their degree.
Whatever path students choose to follow, it’s important to be open minded and agile, said Nicolai Jones and Stacy Lindsey of Michelin North America.
“You don’t have to be a pilot to touch all this stuff,” Lindsey said. “I kind of fell into tires … but everything I love uses a tire, and so you can use that to be around things.”
Companies represented at Aviation and Aerospace Day included Greenville Downtown Airport, Special Services Corporation, USAeroFlight LLC, Stevens Aerospace, Lockheed Martin and Michelin Aerospace.