STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Denbigh High School 9th grader Aisha Elrahhal
Student in the Aviation Academy magnet program
Posted: October 24, 2024
Taking in the bird's eye view from an airplane got Aisha Elrahhal hooked on the idea of becoming a pilot at an early age.
Her brother had learned the skill and took her up on his first accompanied flight. From there, she became more and more fascinated about learning everything it takes to power planes and control them in the air.
"I said: I definitely want to do that," Elrahhal said. "I have a chance to do it, so I will. That's how I got into it."
That chance is coming at Denbigh High School's Aviation Academy, where the ninth grader is making the transition from middle school to high school this fall. The magnet program's real-world setup plunges students headlong into working with flight simulators, 3D printers, drones, a wind tunnel, and a maintenance lab with small planes and plane engines.
It is one of the many Magnet and Specialty Programs offered at NNPS, with applications accepted each fall for the following school year.
Seeing her brother's experience as he completed the Aviation Academy program, Elrahhal decided it was for her. She's planning to obtain her glider's pilot license this summer and, after turning 16, her powered pilot's license.
"He took me for a flight when he could; the first flight he took a person up, he took me," Elrahhal said. "And I saw everything from a bird's eye view and it was 'I want to do this.' I want to be a pilot so I can see it for myself and experience it."
The Aviation Academy offers different areas of specialty depending upon a students' interests, she points out. There are courses in piloting, aircraft maintenance and engineering.
"The simulators are really cool," Elrahhal said. "I'm in the piloting track. And I'm taking Piloting I right now with my teacher, Mr. Hill, and it's really, really cool. You get to go in there every class and pretend like you're flying with the simulators and flying different types of planes.
"There's a whole lot of databases and things that you can go into. And you can fly them around and kind of get the gist of how it feels to fly in the air."
Elrahhal participates in many sports and clubs in school and outside of it, using them to get involved, make friends and connect with her school community. So far, high school has been a fun and exciting new experience, with the added benefit of learning about the field of flight daily.
"I hope to be a commercial pilot one day," Elrahhal said. "I want to experience the joy of seeing the kids going on their first flight, when they're taking off, they're looking out and they're excited and maybe a little nervous."
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