Island Air Honors Explorers Program Graduates (April 18, 2017)

By April 18, 2017News Releases

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 18, 2017

ISLAND AIR HONORS EXPLORERS PROGRAM GRADUATES

HONOLULU – Island Air recently honored 25 students who graduated from its Explorers Program, a 10-week mentorship program that gives high school and college students an opportunity to learn about careers in the aviation industry.

“We are proud of these young men and women for their accomplishment and completion of the Explorers Program,” said David Uchiyama, president and CEO of Island Air. “This is the future generation of Hawai‘i’s aviation industry. We applaud their passion for airline careers and look forward to seeing them follow their dream and obtain local jobs.”

Explorers are offered an in-depth, hands-on overview of the airline industry, learning everything from how airplanes operate to customer relations management and corporate responsibility. The 10-week program provides information for airline related jobs such as pilots, flight attendants, ramp operators and aircraft mechanics, as well as visits and lectures from members of the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and Air Traffic Control.

In addition to mentorship, the Explorers Program graduates have the opportunity to receive the Jaime Wagatsuma Award, a $1,000 scholarship named in honor of the program advisor and pilot for both Island Air and Aloha Airlines who lost her battle with cancer in 2007. This year Island Air awarded two top achievers. The recipients are Mizuki Wiseman of Leeward Community College and Jordan Fines of Damien Memorial School.

The 25 graduates include:

Chad Alcantara-Rillamas – St. Louis High School
Phoebe Brandt – Castle High School
Carlos Bulan – James Campbell High School
Abigail Dang – Home School
Dylan Decker – Kalani High School
Caleb Dirks – Kaiser High School
Marcus Faufata-Pedrina – Damien Memorial School
Matthew Faufata-Pedrina – Damien Memorial School
Jordan Fines – Damien Memorial School
Kawelo Inciong – Kamehameha Schools
Kyo Johnson – Leilehua High School
Chance Kim – Roosevelt High School
Kristen Kop – Mid-Pacific Institute
Shane Kunimitsu – Kamehameha Schools
Elijah Lewis – Home School
Kealani Lui-Kwan – Castle High School
Kayla Malta – ‘Iolani School
Daylen Masaki – Moanalua High School
Cannan Nodine – Kaiser High School
Rovi Porter – Kalani High School
Wyatt Ross – Kaiser High School
Kaylin Urata – Hawaii Baptist Academy
Caden Warhawk – Home School
Mizuki Wiseman – Leeward Community College
Micah Yamamoto – Mid-Pacific Institute

Island Air’s Explorers Program is the only student workforce initiative in the aviation industry on O‘ahu. It became an official Explorer Post of the Boy Scouts of America when the program graduated its first class of students in April 2009. Since its founding, 161 students have completed the course. Many graduates have returned to Island Air for internships or full-time employment.

For more information, visit www.islandair.com/explorers-program.

ABOUT ISLAND AIR:

Island Air is the value leader in the Hawaiian Islands, offering 280 convenient flights each week between O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island. By the beginning of May 2017, Island Air expects to increase the number of flights to more than 450 each week. The affordable alternative for interisland travel, Island Air’s 78-seat Q400 and 64-seat ATR-72 aircraft are able to provide captivating aerial views of Hawai‘i’s remarkable landscapes. Founded in 1980 as Princeville Airways, the company was renamed Island Air in 1992 and has been proudly serving the Islands of Hawai‘i for 37 years.

For more information about Island Air or to make a reservation, visit www.islandair.com or call (800) 652-6541. Let us know how we are doing on Yelp or TripAdvisor or just stay connected by liking Island Air on Facebook at www.facebook.com/islandairhawaii, or follow us @IslandAirHawaii on Twitter and @IslandAir_Hawaii on Instagram.

# # # # #

CONTACT:

Russell Pang
(808) 543-3591
rpang@islandair.com

Nicole Fuertes
(808) 543-3551
nfuertes@islandair.com

Download this news release