Students Soar to New Heights at Pike County Academy
Her instructor allowed her to take the controls during a flight from Troy to Andalusia. “She let me get a feel for the plane. I think it’s kind of surreal just being in control of an airplane the very first time, especially not being around it very much before that.”
When Hurst finishes her training and earns her private pilot’s license, she will be the 11th student to do so through Pike County School System’s First in Flight and Leadership Academy. Through the program, Hurst earned both her high school diploma and an associate degree from Troy University when she graduated in May.
The dual enrollment program has given her much more than just her diplomas, she says.
“I’ve realized that I can handle a lot more than just school and work,” Hurst says. “I can go to school and flight train and do all the things. I realized that I’m capable of a lot more than I thought I was.”
Dual Enrollment Creates New Opportunities
Pike County Schools’ Center for Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning started offering innovative dual enrollment programs in 2014. They provide the opportunity for high school students to earn associate degrees through partnerships with postsecondary schools like Troy University and Enterprise State Community College.
Along with the First in Flight and Leadership program, there are academies for everything from agriscience to electrical engineering, medical-assistant technology, and paralegal studies. There are also programs for short-term certificates in fields like aviation maintenance, information technology security, and 3D manufacturing.
The school district covers all costs of the academy programs. Jeff McClure, administrative assistant to the superintendent, oversees the dual enrollment programs and says they have a rigorous selection process.
Students can apply in the ninth grade, writing an essay explaining why they are a good candidate. Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and the necessary ACT or English and math placement scores. Along with those requirements, they also need recommendations from an administrator and 3 teachers.
The number of prospective academy students fluctuates each year with a record 100 applications under consideration for the upcoming school year. As the programs have grown, more out-of-zone students—like Hurst, who lives in Brantley in Crenshaw County—have been willing to pay tuition fees in order to attend 1 of the academies offered by Pike County Schools.
Mechatronics and exercise and health programs are among the most popular associate degree programs. Interest has also been growing in international studies, McClure says. The academy-specific elective courses are key to hooking 16- and 17-year-olds, he says.
“What makes it specific to their academy are the elective courses that are paired with those general studies,” he says. “The purpose of that is to find what makes those students come alive, because if I want to do something that’s exciting and I’m doing something that’s boring, no matter how gifted I am, I’m not going to excel at it because I’m just not going to find interest in it.”
An Elite Group
First in Flight and Leadership is among the smallest programs as far as the number of participants, but it is 1 of the more expensive programs for the school system to provide. Of the 150 students enrolled in the dual enrollment programs during the 2024 school year, only 2—Hurst and 1 other student—were enrolled in the First in Flight and Leadership program. 10 students have received their private pilot licenses since 2014, and 2 have completed instrument training.
Flight academy students typically begin flight instruction during their junior year, although that may vary depending on the student, McClure says. The attrition rate is high for the First in Flight program, as students often discover piloting is not for them. The school system then will move those participants into another academy.
Students fly out of Troy Municipal Airport with First in Flight instructor pilots from SkyWarrior Flight Training in Pensacola, Florida. Instructor pilot Braidy Terry says weather and other issues can delay licensing, especially when students still need to log the required solo flights and test with Federal Aviation Administration pilot examiners. A student pilot must be 17 years old to earn a private license.
Hurst has never flown on a commercial airplane. Prior to flying the Cessna 172 airplanes used for her training, she had only flown with her mother, Ashley Atwell, who was training for her own pilot’s license at the time and is now a flight instructor at Enterprise.
As a student logging flight time, Hurst flew up to 3 times during the school week and on weekends, if possible. Once she has her license, she wants to be a private pilot for a company or an individual.
The joy Hurst felt during that first flight remains with her.
“I feel like most of the time you either love it or you hate it, and I love it,” Hurst says. “There’s not much in between. Most people don’t feel mediocre about it.”