Georgina Johnson-Hopkins, left, and Barbara Ellzey at the Community Aviation Expo on June 28, 2024. (Angel Idowu / WTTW News)
A Chicago educator is on a mission to take off with Chicago’s Black and Brown girls and explore the world of aviation.
For the last two years, Barbara Ellzey has been exposing the city’s youth to aviation careers. Her commitment to mentoring and leadership spans more than a decade.
“Why shouldn’t it be explored?” said Ellzey of She Flys Aviation Program for Girls. “Why should it be explored?
“No one is sharing information with them,” Ellzey said. “Our knowledge of aviation, even some adults, is limited. Mine was limited. I had no idea you could go into the medical field, be an attorney, work in the food industry, dental — everything we see in our daily lives normally is also in the aviation (field). They offer all of these professions.”
Ellzey has partnered with Georgina Johnson-Hopkins, a program analyst in the aerospace medicine division for the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Aviation is an untapped market,” Johnson-Hopkins said. “Transportation is everywhere, but on the job, we are literally the 1%.”
Students prepare homemade planes out of rubber bands and candy at the Community Aviation Expo on June 28, 2024. (Angel Idowu / WTTW News)
As a specialist in the field for 25 years, Johnson-Hopkins has worked in IT and to address discriminatory cases. Throughout her career, she’s seen firsthand the value offered within the aviation field.
“This is what aviation does,” Johnson-Hopkins said. “It exposes them to an untapped world. Kids are technical and want to be working in these fields because they’re immersed in it every day. But they don’t know to navigate through it.”
“You could be an electrical mechanic,” Ellzey said. “Those that like to work with their hands … can work maintenance in aviation. Be a traffic controller. But they don’t know that because no one’s telling them that.”
Together, Ellzey and Johnson-Hopkins have launched community efforts that include free programming at local high schools, seven of which the women visited this year.
“We want to be able to offer a different level of exposure,” Ellzey said. “I want them to see people that look like themselves.”
The duo has partnered with groups like the Tuskegee Airmen, Tuskegee NEXT and aviation programs at Lewis University, the University of Illinois Chicago, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Olive-Harvey College, the National Guard and the Air Force.
On June 28, Ellzey and Johnson-Hopkins were featured partners in a Community Aviation Expo held at New Life Covenant Church’s Southeast campus.
Louis Freeman, the first Black pilot for Southwest Airlines, talks with an interested student while representing Tuskegee NEXT at an event in Chicago on June 28, 2024. (Angel Idowu / WTTW News)
From an FAA resume writing workshop to a special helicopter landing, the day offered the community an in-depth look at what careers in the field of aviation could look like.
Megan Zupaty brought her pre-teen daughter, Imani Grace Zupaty, and son Damani Zupaty for that exact reason.
“I brought them here to maybe see something different and explore another career opportunity,” Megan Zupaty said. “She (Imani) loves tumbling and traveling, so maybe that love for traveling could turn into a career. You never know.”
With groups like Tuskegee NEXT and the Chicago Department of Aviation on site, students were able to get a feel for the field by talking with experts firsthand.
“When people hear about the Chicago Department of Aviation, they only think of pilots, flight attendants and maybe mechanics,” said Rena Neely, assistant commissioner for workforce for the city’s aviation department. “But what they don’t realize is the Chicago Department of Aviation is a city job and we manage the day-to-day operations of both Midway and O’Hare. We even have a real estate department that seeks and manages the land around our airports. The options with us are endless.”
For those interested in non-pilot careers in aviation, the Chicago Department of Aviation is hosting free online career prep classes select Wednesdays in July (July 10-24) from 6-8 p.m. Learn about the history of the department of aviation, aviation terminology and career paths in the industry. To register, email [email protected] or call 773-291-6580.
Visit flychicgao.com/careers to learn more about career opportunities with the Chicago Department of Aviation.
Follow Angel Idowu on Twitter: @angelidowu3
Angel Idowu is the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent.
