The Rock Valley College Aviation Maintenance Team recently participated in the Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC) held in Atlanta during the first week of April.
“The AMC was a life-altering experience,” said team captain Imran Zaveri. “It gave me industry contacts, new friends, and a platform to exhibit and practice the skills I have learned in school.”
While the team did not win any categories, they did get a team member on the awards stage. Rebecca Hines won the Phoebe Omlie Scholarship, named for the first recorded female aviation mechanic.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award,” Hines said. “This scholarship demonstrates that the aviation community supports me, and I am grateful for their confidence in me. I met so many wonderful people who are rooting for me. It was a great experience.”
First-semester team member Jeff Tucker found the whole experience to be eye-opening, and is already planning to take a team next year when the competition will be held in Dallas.
“It was amazing to meet so many wonderful people,” Tucker said. “I am very excited to put together a well-prepared team for next year to continue to make Rock Valley College proud. We already have people interested, and I look forward to training with them and with aviation companies in the Rockford area.”
Evelyn Delgado agrees that the experience was once-in-a-lifetime.
“It was a life-changing experience for me,” Delgado said. “It’s a competitive, intense competition and a great experience.”
RVC Aviation Maintenance Technology Program Co-Director Mark Adolphson is proud of the team.
“They did a great job representing our program and we are delighted with how they did,” Adolphson said. “We look forward to seeing what next year’s team can accomplish. I am confident they will learn a lot and make great connections.
The RVC Aviation Club advisor is instructor Dion Carr, and their fifth team member is Vlad Dulic.
