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Honor 2020 graduates

Send aviation pictures to celebrate graduating flight students

Share with us your favorite picture of a graduating high school or college senior flight student so that we can honor the class of 2020 together.

Graduating Colorado high school seniors and pilots Jason Walter, left, and Nathan Dankers are pursuing futures in aviation. Photos by Liz Danekind, ELD Photography.

To get things started, AOPA member Brad Walker let us know about two high school seniors and aviation standouts—Jason Walter and Nathan Dankers—who will help represent the future of aviation.

The graduating Colorado high school students and pilots are Walker’s neighbors, and they are also part of a local “Adopt a Senior” program that honors graduates who are weathering the coronavirus pandemic.

Each is looking forward to a promising aviation career.

Walter saved up money from his part-time job at a sandwich shop to pay for flight lessons, and he plans to study aviation and aerospace science at Metropolitan State University Denver.

Dankers “lives and breathes aviation” and plans to pursue outreach programs with Mission Aviation Fellowship. The instrument-rated pilot’s ultimate goal is to fly medical missions in Africa.

There are many up-and-coming aviators who could use our help right now. We plan to honor them with a photo gallery on aopa.org. Send us pictures of graduating high school and college seniors who are student or certificated pilots, and pilots completing their aviation-related master’s degree or doctorate.

Send your favorite photo of the pilot in front of an airplane. Cellphone photos are fine. Label the photos with the person’s name so we can recognize them accordingly. If the graduate is under age 18, please obtain permission from his or her parents before submitting.

David Tulis
David Tulis
Senior Photographer
Senior Photographer David Tulis joined AOPA in 2015 and is a private pilot with single-engine land and sea ratings and a tailwheel endorsement. He is also a certificated remote pilot and co-host of the award-wining AOPA Hangar Talk podcast. David enjoys vintage aircraft ad photography.
Topics: People, Student, COVID19

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