On February 8, 2023, the Seminole High School Aviation Program (SHAP) visited the American Airlines base in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This field trip was made possible by Seminole High School alumni Kozetta Chapman. 

Kozetta, a graduate of Seminole, is the Senior Manager of Tech Ops Recruiting and Development at American Airlines. In her role, she champions the initiative to increase diversity within the Technical Operations space through recruitment, talent pipeline development, and community outreach events. She is also responsible for developing and implementing the team’s long-term strategy to ensure that the Tech Ops organization attracts and retains top talent.

With her position at American and pride for her alma mater, Kozetta reached out to Seminole’s aviation instructor to offer a tour. Once the arrangements were made, Chase Beasley took the Aviation II students through the amazing American facility.

 In his Workforce & Community Relations position, Chase focuses on keeping the American Airlines Tech Ops workforce pipeline full through an expansion of strategic partnerships.

 Students were able to discuss avionics maintenance careers, seat restoration, safety, and refurbishment, airframe aircraft maintenance, and engine maintenance. Additionally, they had the opportunity to tour an American Airlines wide-bodied Boeing 777. One student remarked as he entered the airplane “I’ve never even been on an airplane before, and THIS is the first one I am going to get to see.”

The students were amazed at the size and overall scope of the airplane. Many students who have dreams of becoming commercial airline pilots could not help but take a long look in the cockpit and comment on “how cool it will be to do something like this someday.”

 The students were also allowed to go to the facility where engine maintenance occurs. This is a gigantic facility with engines as far as the eyes can see. Several students in the class have the desire to be aviation mechanics someday, and one of those students could not help but say, “I want to work here someday.”

Seminole High School’s aviation class wants to extend a huge thank you to Kozetta, Chase, and the entire American team for allowing us to visit. Thanks to Kozetta and many others, students of Seminole now have the inspiration to follow in the footsteps of those Chieftains who came before them.