White House native and 2023 graduate of White House Christian Community School, Halen Ashley, is quite literally going places. 

The 2023 recipient of the Epic Flight Academy Aircraft Mechanic Part 147 Scholarship, Halen will be leaving this September to attend classes in New Smyrna Beach, FL, where she will obtain her Airframe and Powerplant Certification, or A&P, in Aviation Maintenance at the tender age of 19.

As a child, Halen exhibited an early interest in all things related to mechanics. Halen explains, “I grew up working on old Chevy trucks called C10’s with my dad, and I drive a 1970 C10 that I built with him.” 

Halen’s ingenuity and interest in mechanics expanded from cars to aviation when she received an invitation to fly in a 172 Cessna High Wing. “I loved it! I was convinced I was going to be an airline pilot until I thought, ‘Wait a second I could actually work on them,’” she recollects. 

While still attending high school, Halen was driven to learn more about the field of aviation maintenance and mechanics, and reached out to the Portland Municipal Airport to ask if there were potential learning opportunities. Halen was given the number for David Sindelar, owner of Sindelar Aviation, and upon visiting the shop, Mr. Sindelar hired her on the spot. 

“Mr. Sindelar is 72, and he's amazing. He's had his aircraft mechanic license for over 50 years, so he is absolutely the best person to learn this trade from,” says Halen.

Working at Sindelar Aviation gave Halen the practical experience she needed to apply for the Epic Flight Academy Aircraft Mechanic Part 147 Scholarship. “I applied for the scholarship through Women in Aviation back in October, and I found out that I got it in December. I'll only be going for 8 months to finish my Powerplant license because I've already accrued enough time for my Airframe license at Sindelar. My plan is to test down there so I'll graduate fully FAA-certificated with my A&P,” she explains.

The resourcefulness she displayed by reaching out to Sindelar Aviation was typical for Halen, who has always been a very capable self-starter. She credits her parents who raised her to be independent, she says. “I think (my parents) (have) done a really good job at making me prepared for life, so I was nervous to make that call, but I knew I didn't have anything to lose.”

For now, Halen is excited about the future. “Some people wait to find out who they are and what they want to do in college. The way that I did it was to get the ball rolling and start my future while I was in high school.” 

Halen is acutely aware that the decisions she made early on, as well as the initiative she took to act upon them have given her an incredible advantage. “I'm going to have my A&P license at 19, and although that might seem crazy, I'm going to retire so much sooner because I've got a jump start, and it's all because I took the initiative.”

This young woman is well on her way to a successful career, and her story is inspiring to many!