Despite envisioning a different path for himself, a scholarship award ultimately led Jacob Przybylski to enroll at PVCC. Attending and graduating from PVCC prepared Jacob to “excel in all things that I do. It helped develop my study skills as well as my leadership skills which transferred over into my aviation field of study. In aviation, as pilots we have to be leaders and decision makers.” Jacob attributes the group projects he participated in and led at PVCC in helping him excel in these areas. Jacob said that a benefit of PVCC’s small size is the multitude of opportunities to take charge and lead. “All that experience transferred directly to flight school for me. Once I achieved seniority and flight certifications, I found myself teaching flight ground school classes and aiding newer flight students in whatever they were struggling with. My flight school success began with PVCC giving me the real world skills that I needed in order to become a successful pilot.”
Jacob’s most influential instructor was Dr. Casey Durandet. “She made every day in her class fun and exciting. There really was never a dull moment and she encouraged me to continue pursuing my aviation career goals, and upon graduation that's exactly what I did.”
Physics class had a huge impact on Jacob as he got to “experience how amazing science can be. That class opened opportunities for me such as helping Dr. Durandet with the middle school science days. Those science days showed me how much I love to instruct people.” This volunteer opportunity is Jacob’s most memorable PVCC experience. He enjoys helping Dr. Durandet with the middle school physics class. “It's something I've helped with numerous times and I enjoy being able to teach, encourage, and get middle schoolers interested in a STEM field as well as maybe getting them interested in aviation. A lot of people feel becoming a pilot is an unattainable goal and I enjoy showing them that it is attainable and something worthwhile to pursue.”
Jacob endorses PVCC as “the best place to start when seeking a higher education. The classes are small and the staff is always attentive to the needs of all students. For someone seeking a college education I would 100% recommend the community level, and I would 110% recommend PVCC. It's a great environment of staff and students and there are plenty of classes to help get your foot into higher education.”
“I received the feeder high school scholarship due to being the only student that filled out the form and it changed my entire life. Had I not filled out the scholarship application, I would've been in the military and probably never discovered my love of flying.”
Jacob continues to give back to PVCC as a panelist for the STEM Field of Interest (FOI) PVCC Alumni Career Panels. He is committed to supporting the students who follow in his footsteps as he encourages others to pursue careers in STEM.