CPTC Students Join All-Washington Academic Team

 

by Jenn Adrien

Clover Park Technical College is honored to announce Aviation Maintenance Technical program students Brandon Lee and Fawzy Youssef as our 2021 All-Washington Academic Team members.

Students who make up the All-Washington (All-WA) Team reflect the diversity of the state, maintain high standards of excellence and contribute positively to the community. Their stories reflect the stories of the state’s community and technical college students.

Brandon Lee
Spanaway native Lee is 20 and graduated from Bethel High School in 2018. After knocking around in a part-time job after high school for six months, he realized that he wanted a more than a job: he wanted a career in aviation.

Inspiration for going to college came from a relative. “My cousin went through the exact same program. After he graduated, he got a job as an aircraft inspector at Amazon. He inspects the cargo planes after they come in, does all the safety checks, and makes sure that they’re safe to fly again.”

Lee loves working with his hands and said that going to college during the pandemic has been challenging. Once he got accepted into the AMT program, he was thankful that it is taught entirely in-person at the South Hill Campus.

After graduating, Lee hopes to land a job working on helicopters. Despite the current pandemic, the job prospects for aircraft mechanics have remained strong. With many workers approaching retirement age, airlines and general aviation companies are seeking skilled mechanics to replenish an aging workforce.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of both Brandon and Fawzy.  They have applied themselves diligently to their studies and are committed to excelling in industry and providing positive contribution to their communities.”

Joyce Loveday, Clover Park Technical College President

Fawzy Youssef
Youssef, 40, immigrated to the USA from Egypt in 2015. The challenge of improving his English, working a full-time job at night, and taking classes full-time has not held him back: Youssef achieved a 4.0 GPA this term and has earned a spot on the President’s List five times.

Back in Egypt, Youssef’s favorite subjects included math, physics, electronics, and mechanics. Aviation maintenance as a logical next step for someone who enjoyed solving problems using data, logic, and manual dexterity.
Asked why he choose CPTC, he replied that the aviation education was due to the quality of instructors, the large community of alumni, and the worldwide importance of aviation technology. “[The College’s staff] was so helpful, from getting me enrolled to figuring out financial issues. CPTC is my home now.”

Youssef’s plans after graduation include working with commercial air brands in the Puget Sound area, “being the best technician in AMT,” and traveling the world.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of both Brandon and Fawzy.  They have applied themselves diligently to their studies and are committed to excelling in industry and providing positive contribution to their communities,” said Joyce Loveday, President of Clover Park Technical College.

Governor Inslee will speak at a YouTube event on Thursday, April 15, 2021 at noon, and will declare the day as the All-Washington Academic Team Day. The virtual event will feature messages from SBCTC, WACTC, ACT, Phi Theta Kappa national, and the sponsors of the All-Washington Academic Team program: State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges, Washington State Association of College Trustees and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society of the Two-Year College.

The program has become the showcase for Washington’s community and technical colleges because it honors the academic high achievers, the individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to success in the classroom and in the communities in which they live. This recognition demonstrates the state’s commitment to scholarship and community service on the part of those attending the state’s public community and technical colleges.

View the 2021 All Washington Academic Team Virtual Ceremony Program.