(Westfield News) After welcoming everyone to the Aviation Maintenance Technology program graduation for the Class of 2025, department head Galen Wilson acknowledged fellow Aviation instructors Scott Hepburn, Christopher Chaves and Timothy Pfau and Aviation Advisory Board chair Kenneth Dromgold.
“Another great year, another great class. These students will have an impact on the aviation industry.” Wilson said the students had completed 1250 hours of training, tests, evaluations, projects, presentations and readings to make it through the only FAA-certified program in New England. “It takes a special student to complete it. They have endured a lot. Bottom line, we did it!”
Mayor Michael McCabe came to the podium, saying it was intimidating to speak with an F15 right in front of him. Hangar 2 at Westfield Barnes Airport had been mostly cleared of aircraft for the ceremony that were now parked on the landing strip along with a visiting F15 from the Air National Guard 104th.
McCabe remarked on the 50% female composition of the Aviation Class of 2025 as he welcomed family and friends, representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration, Gulfstream, and Westfield State University who he said were checking out the program. He then presented certificates from the city of Westfield to each member of the class of 2025.
“This is one of my favorite days of the year. Being able to celebrate our kids as they move into the future is a blast,” McCabe said.
Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski told the graduates, “Aviation needs people like you,” He said the field requires precision, accountability and an unwavering commitment to safety, skills which he called impressive and essential. “Thank you for choosing this path. Your future is not only bright, it’s airborne.”
“I feel so indebted to and proud of this program,” said keynote speaker state Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield), who is co-chair of the state Aviation Caucus. He said it coincides with his time in office, and he remembers walking from the hangar to Westfield Technical Academy with a plane at 3 a.m. in 2016 for the grand opening of the program.
Velis said in the beginning, people were amazed that the program was happening in Massachusetts. “Now, when we have this conversation, they say ‘we know all about it.’ We are proud — you should be proud, and I hope you are.”
Velis’ speech then paused for an emergency response to a medical emergency in the hangar that had a successful outcome. When he resumed, his message to the graduates shifted.
“Far more important than what we’re doing today is your well-being,” Velis told the graduates. He said one of the things he knows as chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, is that the numbers are scary on the impact of mental health on young adults, which he said isn’t talked about enough.
“If you find yourself at any point in the future or a friend finds themselves struggling, remember these three most important words — ‘I need help.’ Please get it. You’re going to find in the not-too-distant future circumstances where you’re going to fail at something — not a single person who hasn’t. What separates those who push forward and who don’t is your response,” he said.
“You make us so proud. Thank you for going down this path. Remember, you’ve got a lot of people in this room who want to help out,” Velis said.