AMERICAN
AIRLINES SELECTS TWO KSU-SALINA STUDENTS FOR INTERNSHIP SALINA - Despite the lagging economy and aviation industry, two professional pilot students at Kansas State University-Salina have been awarded selective summer internships with American Airlines in Dallas this summer. Robbie Sanders, junior from Liberty, Mo., and Seth Short, junior from Burrton, Kan., were selected from a national pool of applicants to participate in the summer learning experience. " It's very unusual to have two of our students get selected by the same airline," said Lucy Crowell, career services coordinator at K-State-Salina. "American has a general practice of doing only one student from any school, but Robbie and Seth were obviously strong enough candidates overall to make American reconsider this summer." " Our weekly routine will have a variety of responsibilities," Short said. "We will be doing everything from helping with training to making sure that pilots have the right navigation charts for the right flights." Although the internship is unpaid, Sanders added that the experience will be worth their time. " The best part about this kind of opportunity," Sanders said, "is that it gives us a chance to see how the company runs. We will have the opportunity to see things from a unique perspective, which should help us prepare for our careers." With the cyclical nature of the aviation industry, the current downturn is just temporary, Crowell said. The aviation department continues to stream qualified professionals, both pilots and maintenance technicians, into the workforce. Recent years have seen more than 50 associate and bachelor's degrees granted annually in the professional pilot program. |