“This scholarship is well deserved,” said David Bond, Lead Faculty, Aviation Maintenance Technology. “James is a go getter; he always wants to learn more. He has so much energy and ambition. You couldn’t ask for a better student or a more worthy scholarship recipient.”
Foley, originally from Boston, has already earned a certificate of proficiency and has completed 42 hours in the program.
“I’m very excited about all of this,” he said. “Working on airplanes is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I’d never been in a position to do it. I always had family responsibilities and different things get in the way when I was younger.”“The last couple of years I just decided it was now or never. I came over to the college, met with people in the program, and really liked what I saw. I just decided I wanted to do it, and this scholarship will certainly help.”
Foley, 47, said the opportunity at MSCC came at an opportune time. He had previously worked in a variety of family businesses and had reached the point where he could make a change.
“I decided it was a perfect time to start a new career,” he said. “I’ve taken care of everyone else to this point, and it was time to do something I wanted to do. I could afford to back to school, so I made the decision.”
“To me, I was excited about going back and learning what I wanted to do, but at 45 (his age when first inquiring about the program), I was thinking, ‘How’s it going to work out? What’s it going to be like?’”
He said he found that the answer to both questions is “fantastic.”
“My experience at MSCC has been fantastic. I’m 47 years old now, so making that jump back in with 20-somethings and teenagers has been an experience, but it’s been fun. I was a little apprehensive about what it would be like being around a bunch of younger people, but I’ve enjoyed it a whole lot.”
“It’s been challenging and a lot of fun to push myself. I’ve been surrounded by good people out here. My classmates are great guys. We have a study group that’s helped us bond. All the other people who have helped me at the college have been fantastic. The experience has been wonderful.”
As a youngster, Foley enjoyed the opportunity to fix things.
“I was always caught up in it,” he recalled. “When I was kid, my grandfather worked at the shipyard in Boston. On the weekends, he always had other jobs going, and I ran around with him.”
“He’d call our house and tell my mom, ‘Tell Jimmy to get ready; I’ll be over at 7.’ I’d get up and spend the whole weekend doing odd jobs with him, and that’s what I wanted to do when I grew up.”
After graduating from high school, Foley attended college for a couple of years but needed to go to work before completing his education.
“I never got to do what I really wanted to do,” he said. “Now is the fun time for me. Everything seems a little bit better, a little more exciting. It’s kind of pumped some life into me; it lit a fire under me. It’s been exciting and fun.”
He said his brother, who is four years older, encouraged him to pursue the training at MSCC. In turn, Foley said he wants to do the same for others.
“To anyone interested in aviation maintenance, I would encourage them to come here,” he said. “The program is great. And for anyone my age who is thinking about making this kind of move back to school, I would encourage them to do it if they could. If you’re not in something you really want to do, you should make that jump now. It might be your last chance.”
The Arkansas Space Grant Consortium includes 14 four-year universities and colleges throughout the state. Its primary goal is to educate and familiarize faculty and students with aerospace fundamentals and research programs and opportunities offered by NASA and the aerospace industry.
For information about MSCC’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program or the other industry-relevant training opportunities, visit the campus at 2000 West Broadway in West Memphis, call the Admissions Office at (870) 733-6728, email admissions@midsouthcc.edu, or see the college’s website at www.midsouthcc.edu.
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