Annual event at St. Louis Downtown Airport gives high school students a hands-on look at aviation and aerospace careers
Courtesy of SLDA
[Cahokia Heights, Ill., Oct. 30, 2025] More than 150 young women from 15 St. Louis area high schools had the opportunity to participate in the 2025 Girls in Aviation Day event at St. Louis Downtown Airport. Hosted by Saint Louis University’s Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science in partnership with Women in Aviation International, the event gave students the chance to explore career paths within the aviation and aerospace industries through a variety of interactive activities and more.
ZoeLampman-SavannahMarta-CharlieseIsaac-RoseSimpson_MarquetteHS-Flight Instructor SishengMa-Courtesy of STLDA
Throughout the morning, students piloted flight simulators, climbed into aircraft used by SLU’s certified flight instructors, and met with professionals from 16 aviation organizations during a career expo. The hands-on activities helped students learn about the many opportunities available in aviation and the skills needed to succeed.
“SLU’s annual Girls in Aviation Day is an incredible way to introduce young women to all that aviation has to offer,” said Michelle Scheipeter, Aviation Operations Manager at Saint Louis University (SLU). “It is exciting to see students realize that there are so many different roles beyond being a pilot or flight attendant. This event helps them see themselves as part of that future.”
Noelle Kowlaski-Marquette High School-GIA Day at KCPS
The program featured keynote speaker Maj. Alicia Canetta, a U.S. Air Force pilot and SLU alum. She shared her 16-year journey in aviation, from learning to fly as a student to flying missions around the world out of Scott Air Force Base.
“There are so many paths to reach your goals in aviation,” said Maj. Canetta. “Just because one door closes does not mean others are not opening. You belong here, in the hangars, in the control towers, and in the cockpits.”
Students also heard from current SLU aviation majors during a panel discussion about their training and career goals. The day’s activities made a strong impression on participants.
“I liked getting into the planes and seeing how each one was different,” said Malaysia Hunt, one of the students from Marquette High School. “I even got to try landing in the simulator and landed perfectly fine on the grass.”
Noelle Kowalski, another student attendee from Marquette High School, said, “My favorite part was talking to the girls from the Air Force. They were really nice and let us try on their gear. The mirror with the inspirational quote made me feel like I could do this too.”
Sandy Shore, Airport Director of St. Louis Downtown Airport, said hosting the event each year is an important opportunity for the local aviation community to encourage the next generation.
“Across most aviation careers, women make up less than 20 percent of the workforce,” Shore said. “By opening our doors to events like Girls in Aviation Day, we are helping change that and showing young women there is a place for them in every part of this industry.”
Girls in Aviation Day is part of a global initiative by Women in Aviation International that encourages girls and young women to pursue aviation and aerospace careers. Experts estimate that more than 100,000 new aviation professionals will be needed in the next decade to meet growing demand. Among the high schools that had students attending this year’s Girls in Aviation Day event at St. Louis Downtown Airport to learn more about these opportunities were East St. Louis, Gateway-TRIO, Lafayette, Marquette, Nerix Hall, Soldan and Ursuline Academy.
To learn more about Girls in Aviation Day or opportunities to participate in future events, contact Michelle Scheipeter at Saint Louis University’s Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science via email at sseoutreach@slu.edu.
St. Louis Downtown Airport is owned and operated by Bi-State Development. It is located a few minutes east of downtown St. Louis in Illinois on 1,000 acres in Cahokia Heights and Sauget.
About Bi-State Development
Bi-State Development (BSD) owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport and the Gateway Arch Riverboats, as well as operates the Gateway Arch Revenue Collections Center and Gateway Arch trams. BSD is the operator of the Metro public transportation system in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois, which includes the 87 vehicle, 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; a MetroBus vehicle fleet of approximately 270 clean-burning diesel buses and 24 battery-electric buses; and Metro Call-A-Ride, a paratransit fleet of 123 vans. BSD also operates the St. Louis Regional Freightway, the region’s freight district. To learn more about St. Louis Downtown Airport, visit www.stlouisdowntownairport.com.
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