Students standing along the fence at North Area Community School waved and shouted as their visitors approached today, but it’s unlikely they could be heard. The students were drowned out because their guests were arriving in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.
As part of a career exploration event, a California National Guard helicopter and crew landed at the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) school site, which borders Vista Nueva Career and Technology High School (Twin Rivers Unified School District).
“It was exciting and something you won’t see again,” said North Area student Kevontae K. “It makes me want to be in the military.”
SCOE organized the event in partnership with the National Guard, Sacramento County Probation, and Twin Rivers Unified to provide students with a close-up look at career opportunities. Meeting the Blackhawk crew gave students a thrilling opportunity to ask questions about possible careers in the military and aviation. “It makes me want to see what it’s like to be a pilot,” said North Area student Reggie J. “It gave me inspiration to go check it out.”
“If we reach a couple of kids, we feel we’ve done our job and we feel good about that,” said California National Guard pilot Bobby Brockly.
The helicopter the students toured was recently deployed to Napa and Sonoma counties to help with firefighting and rescue efforts. In addition to North Area school, they also visited El Centro Jr./Sr. High School, inside Sacramento County Probation’s juvenile hall. The education programs at SCOE’s community schools and at El Centro help students focus on their career aspirations and today's exciting visit reminded them of some of their options.