PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - There's no mistaking Princess Anne as Hawk Country, as hawks of both the avian and military variety circled in the skies over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, home of the Hawks on Wednesday afternoon.
On Wednesday afternoon, UMES sought to expand the career opportunities for students in its Engineering and Aviation Sciences program.
"Most of our students have currently have gone more into commercial aviation," said Derrek Dunn, dean of the School of Business and Technology at UMES. "Obviously the military has a great need for professional pilots, people to work on their aircraft, so this gives them another option- another exposure."
In front of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday afternoon, UMES and the Maryland Army National Guard signed a memorandum of understanding that will give UMES aviation students opportunities to learn to fly and work on military aircraft and related systems.
UMES senior Gabrielle English said that if she were a prospective student, this new partnership would make the school a top choice for her.
"I think it's great. I mean we're expanding out further than just the airlines and things like that, so I'd be pretty interested," English said.
Careers in the Army National Guard for an intersection between civilian and military careers, which opens doors along both pathways.
"We have soldiers who are also in the civilian world, pilots, and air traffic controllers and maintainers, and we can have these students connect with them to really get an idea about what it means to work in this community," said Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, adjutant general of Maryland.
This is not UMES' first partnership with outside organizations to supplement their aviation program. In 2022, the school signed an agreement with Salisbury-based Piedmont Airlines to provide real-world opportunities to learn aircraft maintenance skills.