STUDENTS TAKE TO THE SKY WITH HELP FROM JULIA BROWN ‘22

It’s no secret that the country faces a shortage of pilots. Westminster is doing its part to spark the interest of young minds to pursue an education in STEM and a career in aviation.

Students from Westminster’s Engineering Program, the third-year aerospace engineering class, took a trip to the Homestead General Aviation Airport to fly in gliders. Before the field trip, they studied the physics and mechanics of flight and applied this knowledge to gliders.

Using Aery software, the students were also able to design, construct, and test a dynamically stable wooden glider. They investigated design parameters necessary for a successful flight and practiced adjusting variables such as fuselage length, wing location, nose mass, wing taper ratio, and vertical tail height.

At Miami Gliders, licensed pilot and Westminster alumna, Julia Brown ‘22, gave an overview of the L-23 Super Blanik glider components and control surfaces. After strapping in safely, and being launched by a towplane, Brown flew each student one at a time in the two-seater aircraft. Students experienced coordinated turns, flyovers, and level flight at 2,000 feet in the air. of properties. This was an invaluable experience for me and I am very appreciative to Mr. Kern.”

“It was a memorable experience. I enjoyed observing their reactions during the flight; it made me happy to see them happy,” added Brown.

Brown is a graduate of Westminster’s Engineering Program and a licensed pilot. She is currently a glider flight instructor and a tow pilot for Miami Gliders. Brown has over 1,300 hours of flying time, 285 of which are in gliders.

Back on the ground, students also viewed the inside of the towplane, a Piper Pawnee, flown by licensed pilot Johan Martinez. Students enjoyed connecting their study of flight navigation by seeing a real cockpit and GPS instrumentation.

The step-by-step tutorial demonstrated the basic ins and outs of the professional networking platform and how to make the most of a LinkedIn account. Students were empowered to begin networking at an early age and make meaningful connections with professionals in their field of interest.

Westminster is also partnering with local businesses and entrepreneurs to provide students with real-life learning experiences. Through a new internship program, students have an opportunity to enrich their curriculum.

Class salutatorian Camila Valdes ’23 shadowed Dr. Phillip Newcomm ‘78 and had this to say about her experience: “I enjoyed observing Dr. Newcomm with his patients. In addition to a thorough knowledge of human development, he allowed me to obtain a firsthand look into the importance of strong clinical skills in a specialty like pediatrics.”

Nathan Jones ‘23 also shadowed Paul Demkovich, CEO and CFO of AvAirPros, for first-hand experience on what it takes to run a business. These are only a few of the exceptional business leaders that have welcomed Westminster students.

• Berkshire Hathaway EWM Realty

• Busch Gardens

• Cole, Scott & Kissane

• Dr. Lima Dermatology & Cosmetic Center

• Envirowaste

• Florida Occupational Healthcare Physical Therapy

• Havas Health & You

• Holland & Knight

• MRG Public Relations

• Paraiso Miami Beach

• Physicians to Children, Dr. Phillip Newcomm ’78

• Pinecrest Pediatric Group

• Simply Smiles Miami

• Thrivent

• University of Miami

• US Century Bank

• WildType

Interested in sharing your knowledge and expertise with the next generation?

“We are thankful to our partners for opening their doors and sharing their experiences with our students,” said Brenda Alba, director of internships and service projects. “We hope more professionals will join our commitment to empower learners and inspire lives.”

Scan the code to fill out the internship host application.

Andie Hernandez ‘23 worked with Senior Vice President Drew Kern ‘90 at Berkshire Hathaway. She said “I attended open houses and closings. I also sat in on meetings to understand the exchange between a realtor and a customer, met with brokers, and reviewed the financing

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