On April 27 and 28 several Brownwood High School (BHS) students traveled to Abilene to take their FAA Commercial Unmanned Aviation (drone) Pilot license exam. Eight young men and women earned their license and are now legally able to conduct drone operations for compensation.

This program is a collaboration between Brownwood ISD (BISD) and Ranger College. Students can earn three hours of college credit in addition to high school credit. Thanks to a grant from the Brownwood Education Foundation, the students also learn 3D aerial surveying and mapping, giving the students cutting edge, work-ready skills. The ‘drone class’ is the final course in two high school CTE Career Pathways: Computer Science and Network Systems.

BHS students that earned their commercial license are Ethan Adkins, Jazmine Rivas, Caleb Nelson, John Perez, Aubrey Bruton and Yadira Garza Garcia, Ellie Shields, and Jevvyn Sanchez.

“I’m very proud of these students,” said course instructor Edward Yantis.

BISD offers a wide range of Career Pathways that include professional certifications and licenses. Providing students with these opportunities is what truly makes BISD ‘The District of Choice.’