United Day 2017
April 22, 2017
On Saturday, April 22nd, 2017, SIU celebrated the 23rd SIU - United Airlines Aviation Career Day. A United Airlines Airbus 320 loaded with 140 passengers: Chicago area high school students, SIU Alumni and staff gracefully landed at Southern Illinois Airport around 9:05am. United Airlines donated the use of a revenue generating aircraft, allowing it to be staffed by an all SIU alumni crew and flown to Carbondale. SIU - United Airlines Aviation Career Day is the only event of its type in the nation. Students toured SIU’s outstanding aviation facilities in the Transportation Education Center (TEC), engaged in an hour-long discussion regarding aviation careers with United Airlines personnel, and toured the beautiful SIU Main Campus. SIU and United Airlines have enjoyed this partnership for more than 20 years. The annual event has evolved into a tremendous venue for recruitment, community outreach, career counseling, and reconnecting with alumni. SIU - United Airlines Aviation Career Day started with a welcome and photo session attended by SIU Chancellor Dr. Brad Colwell, Dean of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts Dr. Andy Wang, Associate Dean for Administration Dr. Tom Shaw, and aviation faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends. The United Airlines A320 departed Southern Illinois Airport at 5:00 PM bound for Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
The SIU - UA Aviation Career Day represents our effort to engage alumni and current students in all aspects of the University, serving as ambassadors and advocates for the University, and assisting with student recruitment.
SIU aviation has a proud tradition of employing this unique recruiting technique. In addition, the loyalty of our graduates to partake in this event is laudable. It was cold (about 48ᐤF) and raining on Saturday morning, but overall, it was an extremely successful event.
Congratulations to the SIU Department of Aviation Management and Flight and Department of Aviation Technologies, for coordinating another successful United Airlines Career Day event to showcase our SIU Carbondale campus and community!