SEI helped James’ dream take flight…

When James Jerrod Batson was a third grader, SEI took him to Portland International Airport to see President George Bush. As he stood at the rope line and held out his hand to shake the president’s, James blurted out, “Could I have a sleepover at the White House?”

The President laughed and invited him to pose for a photo in his limo. While sitting inside the president’s limo was thrilling, what came after was prophetic.

When James returned to his SEI classmates, he looked up into the sky as two fighter jets soared off with Air Force One. In that instant he knew he wanted to be a pilot.

James’ dream resurfaced again on career day at his middle school, when SEI volunteers Sue and Ed Cooley came to talk about their flight school. SEI continuously taught him that no matter what your background is, if you dream it, you can achieve it.

So James went home that day, sat down with his mother and strategized a plan to become a pilot. SEI backed James’ dream, and the Cooleys made his dream a reality, giving James a full scholarship to Hillsboro Aviation’s Flight School.

On June 17th he graduated from PSU with a degree in Japanese, his pilot’s license and plans to apply to a fighter squadron of the USAir Force. And he hopes to someday pilot an F15 Eagle out in front of Air Force One.