Partnering With Monterey County Office Of Education To Build A High School Based On Aviation

Air show pilot and industry leader Sean D. Tucker has created the Bob Hoover Academy, partnering with the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) to build a high school program that targets at-risk-youth in the Salinas Valley, using aviation as the carrot to inspire excellence.

In an email announcing the launch, Tucker said that just a month before he passed, he was at Mr. Hoover's home and requested his permission to rename his nonprofit in his honor, as the program matched perfectly with his core values of patriotism, tenacity, humility, and his belief that no matter rich or poor, your dreams were important. At that moment “Every Kid Can Fly” became the "Bob Hoover Academy”.

Bob Hoover, the most iconic aviation legend in history, and a true American hero during his 94 years, thought it was important for all of us to “never give up” on the kids.

The academy started off as an after school program for students at Rancho Cielo, a nationally renowned education program. The principal of MCOE Alternative Education created a whole high school pathway to leverage the opportunity created by our nonprofit. The ultimate goal is to cultivate dynamic and engaged leaders within our great community in the population that needs it most.

"I started crop dusting in the Salinas valley in 1979," Tucker (pictured) wrote. "I've had the honor to work with some great folks over the years - some of the most loyal and hard working have been from this Hispanic community. Now the youth on the east side of Salinas need our help. It is on this premise that we created the Bob Hoover Academy," Tucker wrote. "We've been slowly developing the Bob Hoover Academy for the past 5 years and I refused to come to our community to ask for help until we had built a thriving program that has a truly transformative effect on our student's lives. I'm very proud of what we've achieved. We've had some truly profound success stories and it's time to engage our great community."

(Source: Sean D. Tucker media release. Image from file)

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