Page 12 - Mid Valley Times 2-13-20 E-edition

FLIGHT Continued from page A1
dents, staff and parent groups.
"Everybody is very excited about the op- portunity for students really to consider a career that they nor- mally wouldn't have considered in the past," she said, "Now, this has opened their eyes to other opportunities. And it's in our backyard. They can get the degree right here in our back- yard. I think that's the exciting part."
After the demonstra- tions, young Kaileigh said she initially thought being on the simulator would be just for fun and play.
"But then when I ac- tually got on it, this was kind of like me trying to improve," she said. "Once I practiced it, I got way better than before. And then my scores keep on getting higher and higher each day."
Kaileigh is part of Boeing's desire – and a goal of the program — to see a strong increase in female pilots. Cur- rently, only about 5 per- cent of the current fleet of commercial pilots are women, and there also is a high demand for developing an overall crop of young pilots to eventually replace and replenish a rapidly ag- ing market.
Featured speak- ers at the Jefferson event included Sev- erin Wandji and Doug Larsen with the Boeing Company, Reedley Col-
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
Patty Ledesma, principal at Jefferson Elementary School in Reedley, gestured toward fourth-grader Kaileigh Hira- hara-Corona, lower right, operating a flight simulator while Ledesma spoke at a Feb. 5 media event.
Dinuba's Relay for Life event set for April 18
MVT Staff Report
Join the fight for a world free of cancer as the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Dinuba will be back for its 16th year. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Satur- day, April 18, at Dinuba High School.
Community mem- bers in the Dinuba area will come together to fight against cancer through the American Cancer Society Relay for Life Movement — the world’s largest and most impactful fund- raising event to end cancer.
Dollars raised will help the American Can- cer Society save lives by supporting education and prevention efforts, funding groundbreak- ing cancer research, and providing free in- formation and services for those diagnosed with cancer who need them.
Last year, Relay for Life of Dinuba raised more than $80,000 and through continued sup- port of the community has raised nearly $1.5 million over the past 15 years.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
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Mid Valley TiMes
lege President Jerry Buckley, and Ledesma. Nicole Zieba, Reedley's city manager, emceed the event and spoke about how the pro- gram should continue to shrink the city's un- employment outlook.
The media event was one of three gath- erings in the city to tout the program. Visitors and officials later went to Reedley College to speak with faculty in the college's Aviation Department and check out the simulators and equipment on campus.
Also, there was an afternoon meeting at the Reedley Municipal Airport to see some of the state-of-the-art PIp- estrol electric aircraft housed there. Joseph
Photos by Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
LEFT: Boeing officials Severin Wandji, right, and Doug Larsen spoke at the media event about the company's role in the aviation partnership.
RIGHT: Jerry Buckley, Reedley College president, talked of the college's involvement.
Oldham, manager with the sustainable aviation project in Fresno, an- swered questions about
the new program.
"Our vision is that
any student who wants to who is within our ar-
ea, can come and learn with this program," Buckley said during his remarks.
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