Aerospace Academy
JHS Senior Leverages NEISD Dual Credit Training to Prepare for Aviation Career
By Amy Morgan
Johnson High School senior Caden Barr has dreamed of piloting a plane since childhood. But rather than prepping for a military slot or college that offers flight school, Caden is getting a jump start on his career by learning how to work on airplane engines as a certified mechanic. He’s one of the few JHS students to take advantage of NEISD’s Dual Credit partnership with St. Philip's and enroll in the Alamo Academies Aerospace Academy. When he graduates from Johnson next month, Caden also will have earned a Level 1 Aircraft Structures Mechanic Certificate of Completion.
He’ll return to St. Philip’s this summer and complete his Aircraft Technician Airframe associate’s degree, which he plans to leverage to land a spot in a flight training program with a commercial carrier like United or Delta Airlines.
“As a kid, I thought it was the coolest thing to be in the sky and fly,” Caden said. He took a private flight lesson on his 15th birthday, which encouraged him further. “I didn’t even know how to drive a car yet,” he said, “but the instructor let me take off and fly in the sky.”
Caden’s shown great dedication to his dream. While the JHS first bell doesn’t ring until 8:50 a.m., he’s at school by 6:25 to catch the bus that takes the C-Tech academy students from JHS and Churchill to St. Philip’s Southwest Campus.
Caden reported he wanted to make the most of his time in high school to further his path to flight school. He enjoys working with his hands, and he believes it will be helpful as a pilot to know how plane engines work. He also hopes hiring airlines will recognize his dedication to aviation. Alamo Academies teacher Ms. Moran noticed Caden’s potential and tapped him to serve as an Ambassador on the Student Leadership panel. He presented and fielded questions for both the high school and Alamo Colleges programs. He credits her with helping him improve his public speaking skills.
Although Caden has taken at least eight aerospace courses through Alamo Academies in addition to completing a summer internship disassembling and cleaning engine parts with StandardAero, he still had time to be involved on the JHS campus. He was selected as senior class vice president, a position responsible for planning activities that bring the class together. He stayed busy with senior sunrise and sunset events, as well as a King of the Court volleyball game where the girls’ volleyball team teaches the boys how to play – a reverse twist on powder puff football. Caden’s been part of the JHS swim team, is a member of the National Honor Society and will graduate in the top 10% of his class.
He also has served as the school’s technical theatre carpenter for the past four years – the last two as Carpentry Head. Caden directs teams to build set structures. He was especially fond of a pergola they built for the school’s production of Mama Mia.
Caden might be best remembered on campus for
his love of spreading Christmas cheer. For the
past several years he has worn a light up suit or Santa costume to school during the week before winter break.
“I like to see people smile, and they seem to like my humor,” he said.
