Pantego resident Destiny Jones, 17, has a strong passion for aviation — she wants to join the United States Air Force after graduation and participates in Northside High’s ROTC Air Force program. She said she likes the mixture of aviation and discipline.

So when the rising senior heard about the weeklong ACE (Aviation Career Education) Academy at Elizabeth City State University in mid-June, she knew she had to go.

The aviation learning camp is meant to give students the opportunity to explore different careers in aviation. This year students ranging from rising ninth graders to rising seniors attended the camp.

Jones said the 27 camp students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of aviation experiences, including a visit to NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., a rocket launch competition and a ride in an airplane.

“It was just going to be a good experience, I thought, and it was,” she said.

Dr. Kuldeep Rawat, director of the ACE academy and director of the aviation science program at ECSU, said this was the seventh summer of the program, which is sponsored by the NCDOT’s Division of Aviation.

He said the program usually consists of two separate camps each summer, but this year there was only the one in June. One of the most important aspects of the camp is its hands-on learning method, which connects what the students learn in the classroom to the real world, he said.

“I would say it’s a very excellent program for students to get a look at the work that’s out there in the field of aviation,” Rawat said. “They won’t get that experience from any other place.”

Students who attend the program must pay a $150 fee, but this goes toward costs of housing and food, he said. The attendees stay in a dorm all week and eat at the university’s cafeteria, which also gives them a glimpse of college life.

Jones said one of her favorite parts of the aviation academy was when she rode in a two-seater airplane. She’s been in airplanes before, so she said the flying didn’t scare her, but the landing was bumpy.

“(The pilot) let me wear the headphones,” she said. “I just like going over top everything.”

U.S. Air Force Captain Aaron Jones, a fighter pilot who has served for 10 years, spoke to the students at the graduation ceremony at the end of the week, a meeting Jones said she enjoyed because it was a good opportunity to talk with a person already in the Air Force.

Destiny Jones’ guardian, Michelle Leathers, said Capt. Jones’ message to the students about overcoming trials in life spoke to her.

In a press release from the university, Capt. Jones said, “The idea is to have the right attitude, take responsibility for your education and training then pursue your passion. If you are truly passionate about what you are doing or want to do in life, then no obstacle — oh and there will be roadblocks — can prevent you from attaining your heart’s desire.”

“The things that he would say would encourage you,” Leathers said. “I think it was a great opportunity. Anything that’s going to enhance your knowledge is good.”