Middle Georgia State MVP: Jenny McCartney
Author: News Bureau
Posted: Monday, April 21, 2014 1:09 PM
Category:
Finding Greatness
Macon, GA
Full Name: Jenny McCartney.
Age: 23.
Hometown: McDonough, Ga., by way of Tampa, Fla.
Residence: Eastman.
High School: “I was homeschooled, and yes, I do have social skills. Kinda.”
Family: “I am the third of five children.”
Employment: MGSC intern with aircraft fleet maintenance on the Eastman Campus.
Degree: “I am working towards a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an emphasis in fixed-wing flight, and an associate’s degree in Aviation Maintenance.
Class Rank: Senior.
Primary Campus: Eastman.
Activities: “I have been involved with Women in Aviation, Heart of Georgia Chapter, since fall of 2010. I am the current president. Also, I serve on the Eastman Campus SGA, having previously held the position of secretary. I’m currently assistant director. Until recently, I was heavily involved with Civil Air Patrol. For four of the last five summers I have worked at camps in Alaska.”
Career Goals: “Since childhood, I have dreamed of becoming a pilot. After college, I plan to move to Alaska to fulfill my dream of becoming a bush pilot. {And yes, I had this dream before I knew who the Twetos were! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Wild_Alaska). I want to link Alaskan villages and towns with the essential tool of aviation. My other main purpose of training for five years in Eastman is to one day fly kids to different Bible camps all over Alaska.”
She chose Middle Georgia State College because … “It had a flight and maintenance program I could afford. Pretty exciting, right?”
The one thing that surprised her about Middle Georgia State was … “We still don’t have a competitive flight team!! We have all the infrastructure, just nothing on a budget line. (Hint, hint, people in charge of money and college advancement.)”
Her favorite professor is … “Too easy. Ed Steigerwald, man of faith, knowledgeable of all things aviation, and student-oriented. I had him for Advanced Navigation, Advanced Aerodynamics and Aviation Law. Professor Steigerwald was the first full-time professor I came across that did his job in a way that most benefited student learning.”
Her favorite place to study is ... "In a hammock by the lake.”
One thing people don’t know about her is … “For the 2010 Census, I led a team that was responsible for counting four counties in Georgia.”
Her friends make fun of her because … “I get excited when I talk about aviation, whether it be flying airplanes or fixing airplanes.”
The one person she’d most like to meet is … “I’d like to have coffee with Nate Saint (a martyred missionary from Ecuador). His book ‘Jungle Pilot’ sparked my interest in bush flying. I was inspired by his relentless pursuit of his dream and how he never gave up, even when that meant his death.”
Five years from now she sees herself … “Flying a KingAir 350i in Alaska taking kids to Bible Camp and finally flying any airplane for hire. That’s the dream.”