Liam Hay stepped into an optional Grade 9 class with an open mind and left with a newfound passion that would change the course of his life.
"I never really thought of aviation growing up," said Hay. "It wasn't really anything I had a super huge interest in."
He signed up for the aviation program at Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate based on mild curiosity and a desire to try something different. It caught his full attention right from the start.
"From day one with Mr. Vodopivec, I absolutely fell in love with everything," exclaimed Hay. "He is so passionate about the way he teaches and is a big factor as to why I decided to make it my career."
With inspiration in his shoes, Hay pursued aviation full speed ahead. In Grade 11, he began volunteering with the Winnipeg Airports Authority's Silverwing Youth Ambassador Program, which provided hands-on assistance to travellers and visitors at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. The following year, the senior became a Lead Silverwing and helped train other young aviation enthusiasts in the program.
These commitments, totalling 138 volunteer hours, made him a deserving candidate for WAA's Queen Elizabeth II Aviation Scholarship. For Hay, receiving the scholarship meant his hard work and dedication towards the airport community paid off.
After graduation, Hay worked at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport's Information Booth as he prepared to embark on a new chapter — the Aviation-Flight Management program at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Five semesters later, the new graduate completed his Commercial Pilot License, Single-Engine Instrument Rating and the IATRA exam.
Bags packed, Hay's next steps led him to Pickle Lake, Ontario and Thompson, Manitoba working with North Star Air. Between the two cargo bases, he spent seven months learning how to pack groceries and other goods for transportation, shrink wrap the pallets and load them onto different aircraft. These planes are consistently delivering goods to northern communities across Canada.
Moving from the ground to the air, Hay was promoted to First Officer in January of 2019. He began flying passengers and occasionally cargo in a nine-seat aircraft from Thunder Bay to communities in northwestern Ontario.
"Sometimes I wake up and wonder if this is a dream or the life I actually get to live," said Hay. "We get to provide an essential service to passengers travelling from very remote communities down to Thunder Bay and other places for their doctor appointments or getting their groceries or just helping them with their day-to-day lives."
With his sights set on big goals, such as one day becoming a captain for a larger airline, he is extremely grateful for the scholarship that jumpstarted his career. Hay recommends any Grade 12 student who is serious about a career in aviation to apply for the scholarship as "it is not specific to one part of the industry and can help anywhere."
WAA's Queen Elizabeth II Aviation Scholarship is established in perpetuity with St. James-Assiniboia School Division and awarded annually to a graduating student pursuing aviation-related studies. While graduation may look and feel a little different this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the next recipient will be a welcome addition to a pool of outstanding alumni who are busy chasing their aviation dreams.
The year's application process closes on June 1, 2020. Please visit the St. James Scholarship Foundation website for more details.
Pictured on the right: Recently, Liam Hay enjoyed a visit with his former teacher, Mr. Vodopivec, who runs the aviation program at Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate.
