"There’s a Different Standard Here"
Time and again, you will hear WMAA students say that they chose this school for the challenge. Seth Blanchard is no exception.
“I wanted a different high school experience than I saw my brother having, so I started looking at options in 8th grade. As soon as I walked in the door at WMAA, I knew there was a different standard here. People greeted me and shook my hand. I connected instantly.”
The culture drew him in, but Seth had no plans to explore aviation. “I was going to do engineering,” he says. But then, as happens with so many students, the horizon opened up through curriculum opportunities. “By my junior year, I really leaned into the engineering track, and I chose Introduction to Maintenance as one of my courses. That, in turn, pulled me toward Build-A-Plane.”
Seth was part of the team that finished the Carbon Cub EX2 in 2023. “I worked on the exhaust system, cowling, propeller, and most of the final gas line,” he says. “It’s amazing to see the finished product and know that I was one of the many students who completed it. It was a proud moment when I saw that finished plane in the WMAA hanger!”
Much to his surprise, Seth’s hands-on experiences with Build-A-Plane set him on course for an aviation career. “I definitely want to get my A&P license, and then either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering,” he shares. “With those skills, I can work on planes anywhere. As a mechanic, I can see the country and make a great living.
"I've gained confidence in my skills."
Olivia transferred to WMAA as a junior because she wanted to be a commercial pilot and travel as part of her career. She brought some incredible experience with her.
“I served on Student Council and as a club leader at my previous high school. My school belonged to the Michigan Association for Student Councils and Honors Societies. I was privileged to serve as one of only 30 students on the Board of Delegates for that organization. I knew from personal experience how impactful membership could be.”
In her persistently determined way, Olivia convinced WMAA to join MASC/MAHS. The organization hosts monthly events to encourage leadership growth in high school students. At the end of January, participating high schools make student council presentations, showcasing their ideas in a “Shark Tank” sort of environment. The top two vote-getting presentations for each region can go to the state competition.
Olivia encouraged WMAA students to compete, and one presentation qualified for state competition. In addition, she ran for the executive board, so the next year she represented the entire state instead of just southwest Michigan.
“This work has given me tremendous confidence in myself as a person and in my skills. I never thought I could speak in front of 3,000 people…but I did it at states! I’m passionate about this opportunity and the way it can help WMAA students grow.”
"WMAA Celebrates Success"
Kaitlyn Lawrence came to WMAA like most freshmen do, with a rather vague, cloudy vision of what her future might hold. “I was interested in science and math, but I didn’t know what that meant for me,” she shares. “I also play the flute and love music, but wasn’t sure a music career was attainable.”
Kaitlyn leveraged WMAA’s extensive STEM course offering to explore her options.
“I was thinking about careers in forensics or health, so biomedical engineering seemed like a good place to stick my toe in the water.”
“One of our projects in biomed was a murder mystery. We had a cadaver with injuries, and we had to figure out how the person died. What a fascinating project!”
That introduction opened the door to research. Kaitlyn and her partner looked at a lot of complicated research papers and topics to come up with their capstone project. “We decided to explore how particles pass through the five skin layers,” she says. “The research was amazing. It was motivating. I want to keep doing it! I never thought I would have the independence to set up and complete my own project in high school.”
Kaitlyn decided to pursue a music major, and that sparked an incredibly demanding senior year schedule. “You don’t just ‘decide’ to be a music major,” she recalls. “I spent the majority of the year on the application process, which included recording about an hour’s worth of music, prescreening, and then an audition. A very small number of students receive an invitation to audition. I applied to four colleges and auditioned at three. I was accepted at the University of Michigan!”
Kaitlyn also plans to pursue a STEM major and hopefully a biomed degree. “I know it will take me a little longer to graduate, but the skills I’ve learned at WMAA will get me to the finish line.”
“WMAA has a standard,” Kaitlyn concludes. “It’s academically intense but teachers are also understanding. They helped me schedule my classes and dual enroll at GRCC so that I could invest time in my college prescreening. Once you earn independence, it’s nice to have teachers who trust you and help you make things happen. No one ever puts you down for caring about things. WMAA celebrates success. That’s part of the culture.”
Transforming Futures
Shane Rinzema is a great example of how WMAA can transform futures. He had no intention of attending WMAA. In fact, Shane had his heart set on going to another high school with his friends. As he rather candidly admits, “I promised to try WMAA for one year to make my mom happy.” Four years later, he graduated without ever having looked back.
What was the lure?
“I got hooked into the RC Club and Science Olympiad and made friends. Then I heard about the private pilot license and realized that I wanted to fly. But I knew that civilian flying would be too slow, so I started considering the military.”
Talking with Mr. Sebuck and Mr. Pavey about their experiences inspired Shane to pursue a military career. He was accepted into the highly competitive Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, and plans to attend Eastern Michigan University to earn a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management Technology.
"Came for the culture, stayed for the rigor."
Jack came to WMAA for the culture, and stayed for the academic rigor. He also took on specific leadership opportunities for a deeply personal reason.
"I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at age seven. I received tremendous help and inspiration from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in terms of how to manage my disease and live a full life. So I wanted to learn about this disease."
Jack racked up more than 250 hours of volunteer service with JDRF during his WMAA career. He became a regional youth ambassador who interacts with donors. He was also chosen to represent Michigan when JDRF went to Washington DC to lobby for an insulin bill.
“Speaking as someone who has the disease, I was able to share how much this bill would help,” Jack notes. To his delight, the lobbying succeeded and the bill passed!
Jack took courses to help him understand the causal factors of juvenile diabetes. “I took every AP science course available at WMAA and I also took a course through Davenport University. It’s good to challenge yourself in a field you are considering. If it’s tough and you still like it, that’s a good sign.”
Jack wants to be a physician so he can make an impact in the juvenile diabetes field. “We don’t fully know the triggers yet, but treatments are progressing rapidly. I hope to be part of the cure.”
"Leading pushed me out of my shell."
The Civil Air Patrol is a national program of volunteers who provide search and rescue support under the umbrella of the Air Force. Cadets earn certifications in skills to support search and rescue operations.
Addie became a cadet as a freshman, but then the membership fell off after COVID.
“I was the only one left standing, and I got pushed into a leadership position. It definitely got me out of my shell!”
It may have come as a surprise, but Addie has gained tremendous confidence in her skills through this experience. She’s now a Chief in the Civil Air Patrol, passing on leadership skills while teaching 23 cadets from WMAA and other schools. Her unit recently took third place in the state Cadet Competition, which is particularly impressive given that none of the unit members had ever competed before.
Addie also channeled her significant skills into a competitive application process for the Air Force and Naval Academies. She applied to her District Congressperson and both State Senators, completing a challenging written application and a very formal interview in front of a military and civilian board. She did receive congressional nominations, and now is angling for a way to combine her passion for flying with a military career.
“I’m looking at my options right now, but I know I will choose something military and something with aviation.”