Women aircraft mechanics take off at HCC

Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi, is a place where women are taking off in the field of aviation.

On May 11, 2023, the college will bestow Certificates of Graduation upon Tiara Sankar and Mckynzie Nutt.  Both students will graduate as licensed aircraft mechanics, propelling them into the wide world of aviation.

These young women are standing on the brink of careers that are profoundly significant in the field of aviation, i.e., aircraft maintenance. These jobs are financially rewarding, with starting wages paying more than $25 per hour. 

Sankar, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, migrated from the West Indies to Palm Coast, Florida, at the age of four.  Following her graduation from Flagler Coastal High School, she served in the U.S. Navy. 

In 2021, Sankar began her study at Hinds Community College’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program. Some of her coursework at the college included Aviation Electricity, Biology, and Aviation Physics. Once, she made the Dean’s List with a 3.5 GPA; thrice, she made the President’s List with a 4.0 GPA. 

Sankar states, “After graduation, I will attend the Capitol Technology University in Washington, DC, enrolling in the Astronautical Engineering program on scholarship with an expected graduation date of Spring 2025.” While completing her studies in DC, she also might work part-time. To date, she has received offers of employment from Boeing Aerospace (an American airplane manufacturing company based near Seattle) and United Airlines (an American commercial passenger airline company based in Chicago).

Nutt was born in Florence, Mississippi, and graduated from Florence High School. She began her studies at Hinds Community College in 2021. 

Among the aviation courses Nutt has completed during her two years of study at the college are those focused on Power Plant and Airframe Technology. She, too, is a Dean’s List scholar.

On May 11, 2023, she will depart with a Certificate of Graduation and as a Licensed Aircraft Mechanic.

Nutt states, “I am expecting to be employed in the near future with an entry level pay range of $26-$32 per hour with progressively higher pay opportunities in the not-so-distant future.”

Hinds Community College is accepting students interested in pursuing careers in aviation each semester. The coursework completed there is transferable to all Mississippi colleges and universities, and many other 4-year institutions throughout the U.S. For more information, visit www.hindscc.edu.