Flying an airplane is something many kids dream of, but for 17-year-old Marely Ramirez, the chance to turn that dream into a reality was too good to pass up.

“Aviation has always been in the air for me, creatively and literally,” the Kankakee High School student said.

Ramirez is one of 23 students from eight local high schools who have joined the Kankakee Area Career Center’s newest career pathway, which is teaching them all about professions in aviation.

Like many of her classmates, Ramirez aims to become a pilot.

Her drive stems from members of her family having aspirations to work in aviation.

“They unfortunately didn’t have the same opportunities that I have,” Ramirez said. “I just feel like I’m achieving this dream for everyone, and that’s what motivates me.”

Of course, planes are also just “really cool.”

“The idea of being in the air is awesome,” she said.

Aviation is the first entirely satellite program offered by the Career Center, meaning all lessons take place off-site.

Instead of meeting at the vocational school campus in Bourbonnais Township, students go where the planes are – the Greater Kankakee Airport.

Students gather at the airport from 12:45 to 2:40 p.m. each school day for a mix of classroom instruction and hands-on labs.

Instructors are hoping to grow the program and get more students involved in the future.

The Career Center currently enrolls almost 800 students from 19 school districts in various career-focused programs.

Getting off the ground

In July 2024, Career Center graduate Josh Karkos came forward with the idea to start an aviation program.

Karkos shared the idea with Career Center leadership and contacted Chris Ratliff, owner of D14 Aviation flight school.

KACC Principal Tim Guerin and Director Matt Kelley pitched the idea to their school board, and after more research and preparation, the board approved the program for takeoff this school year.

It was a matter of the right pieces coming together.

Jeff Benoit, manager of the Greater Kankakee Airport, allowed the program to be offered at the airport.

Tim Edwards, a U.S. Army veteran, was recruited as an instructor.

“A lot of people are accommodating, and it took a lot of hands to make this happen for these kids,” Guerin said.

In-demand profession

Ratliff said aviation is one of the most in-demand career paths, with jobs ranging from pilot to air traffic controller, aircraft maintenance technician, or airport manager. Sign-on bonuses are common for certain roles because of the high demand.

“There’s hundreds retiring every year from individual companies that just can’t be replaced [fast enough],” he said.

Many of the pilots he works with had no idea when they were in high school that these careers were possible.

“It was a pipe dream. You look at airplanes, you’re like, ‘Man, that’d be cool. I can’t do it,’” Ratliff said. “We’re bridging the gap of, ‘I can’t do it,’ and letting kids know that it’s easier than you think.”

Students learn about career options that can potentially lead them to earning six-figure salaries.

To participate in the Career Center course, a $300 fee is required for supplies and materials, but the return on investment for dedicated students is substantial.

Ratliff said the value of the instruction students will receive over the course of two years is more than $30,000.

Karkos was one of those students who didn’t realize aviation was an option in high school. He originally went to college in the nursing field before becoming a pilot and certified flight instructor.

“I thought that aviation was reserved for wealthy or military, and it’s way more accessible,” Karkos said.

Some parents have reported seeing their kids become passionate about something for the first time.

“Aviation seems to do it,” Ratliff said. “They take their headphones off, they turn the music down, and they get into something.”

Ratliff noted that being around goal-oriented, motivated people can have profound effects on youth, especially when discovering their talent.

They might find that a sense of direction is not just good for planes, but people, too.

“Give that troublemaker an airplane, and all of a sudden he starts growing up a little bit,” he said.

Learning to fly

About eight students have already begun or signed up to begin flying lessons, and most in the class are excited to begin the process.

Only a couple are apprehensive about getting into a plane.

“As part of the class, every student does get a lesson in the airplane,” Ratliff said. “They don’t have to continue to move forward with it, but they get the opportunity.”

The Career Center and D14 Aviation also plan on offering a scholarship worth more than $10,000 to a student who excels in the class each year. The scholarship will provide 45 flight hours with instruction.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires a minimum of 40 flight hours to obtain a private pilot’s license.

Soaring to new heights

Hayden Husch, 18, who attends Clifton Central High School, said he’s been flying in planes since age 2, as his father is a pilot.

So, the decision to take an aviation class through the Career Center was a no-brainer.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said. “Not a lot of high schools have that.”

At an age when many don’t yet have a driver’s license, Husch has about 30 flight hours toward attaining a private pilot’s license. He has already completed a solo flight and is preparing for a cross-country flight.

For Kylie Beit, 16, a Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School student, the breathtaking views from the pilot’s chair are part of what draws her to the profession.

“When I was 14, that was the first time I got to fly the plane by myself,” Beit said. “My jaw was literally dropping the entire time.”

She couldn’t think of a single reason not to take the aviation class.

“When I get up in a plane, I know this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Beit said. “I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

Not everyone is as sure about what they want to do with their lives, which is a main selling point of the Career Center for many students.

They can explore career options they might be considering and decide what does and does not interest them.

BBCHS student Camille Degedeh, 17, said she has never been sure of what she wants to do for a career; she just knew she wouldn’t want an everyday office job.

“Flying isn’t mundane, and coming here doesn’t feel mundane either,” Degedeh said. ”I feel like I’m doing something fun every day.

She used to think becoming a pilot was reserved for people who are considered extremely smart, but she is starting to realize that anything is possible.

“Now it feels like, if you’re determined enough, you can definitely do it,” Degedeh said. “Seeing the concepts and everything, how it works, it does truly feel like I’m here learning about my future.”