Kaleigh Walker 865 Academies, Great Educators

Powell High Aviation Instructor Shares Real-Life Lessons from Hurricane Relief Missions

When Powell High School Aviation Instructor and Tennessee Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer Andy Salas flew through deteriorating weather conditions to aid those affected by Hurricane Helene, it became one of the most harrowing flights of his career. 

His mission was clear: resupply and rescue in areas of East Tennessee and North Carolina that were devastated by the storm. However, the experience also provided invaluable lessons that Salas brought back to his students in the classroom.

Salas recalled being activated on a Saturday after the hurricane hit, flying a Blackhawk helicopter into mountainous regions. His tasks included delivering water, fuel, and generators to remote areas with no communication or power. 

“We were one of the first Blackhawks there,” Salas said, explaining how he coordinated with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and local officials. But the most dangerous moments came when the mission was over, and he faced rapidly worsening weather conditions.

“I made a choice that I wish I hadn’t, flying lower instead of committing to instruments, and that’s what I demonstrated to the students,” he said. “Lessons learned, good or bad are invaluable to aviators.”

Salas didn’t just survive this experience—he turned it into a learning tool. 

Back in the classroom, he recreated the same weather conditions using flight simulators, challenging his students to make better decisions. As the weather deteriorated in the simulation, students had to use aeronautical decision-making to avoid disaster. 

“Most of them made the right choice,” Salas said. “They just pulled the nose up into the clouds and got away from the ground.”

By sharing his real-life experiences with his students, Salas emphasizes the importance of quick thinking and staying calm in high-pressure situations—skills that go beyond aviation and into everyday decision-making. 

His students not only learn how to fly; they learn how to navigate the unexpected, just as he did.

Great Educators in Every School

Great educators are core to the mission of KCS. By investing in meaningful professional development and growth opportunities, and pursuing innovative strategies to retain and recruit high-quality educators, KCS is positioning great educators in every classroom.

Kaleigh Walker 865 Academies, Career Empowerment, Great Educators

Flying to Success: Powell’s Aviation Odyssey

Students at Powell High School are not just reaching for the skies; they’re soaring through the clouds thanks to the school’s cutting-edge Aviation pathway.

Operating within the Academy of Commerce and Transportation, this unique program is a standout as the only high school aviation course of study in Knox County and a rare gem statewide, offering students a hands-on journey into the world of aerospace education.

At the helm of this ambitious venture is Tennessee Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer Andy Salas, whose expertise in tactical military rotary flight brings a dynamic perspective to the classroom. 

When he’s not leading the charge in education, you can find him maneuvering Blackhawk helicopters, serving as both pilot and instructor.

“After school, I’ll go straight to the airfield, fly at night, and hopefully get home by midnight,” Salas said. “I do that at least once a week, and sometimes up to three times a week, for my proficiency.”

Just days into his new role at Powell, Salas orchestrated a thrilling event: a Medevac Blackhawk helicopter swooped in, touching down on school grounds. Students explored the aircraft and gained insights from the flight crew. This kind of experiential learning sets the stage for what’s to come in the program.

But it’s not just about the thrill of helicopters and the roar of engines. The Aviation pathway begins with a solid foundation in Introduction to Aerospace, where students delve into aviation history, aircraft structures, and principles of aerodynamics. From there, they ascend through Aerospace I and II before reaching Unmanned Aerial Systems, a course designed to take them to the world of drone piloting, culminating in an FAA Remote Pilot Certification.

For students like Lucas Keefe, the journey is more than academic–it’s a personal legacy. 

“My great-grandfather was an aviator and my grandfather was an aircraft mechanic, so I’m naturally interested in planes,” Keefe said. “One of my goals is to fly them one day, and these classes will help me carry on the tradition.”

Before students select a pathway in the 865 Academies, they undergo the YouScience aptitude test, which guides them toward careers aligned with their passions. Students in the class soared above the rest in the aviation section.

As Salas continues to lead the course, he looks toward an exciting future.

“Seeing the end product of these kids graduating from this program in a few years is going to be the most thrilling part for me,” he said.

The sky’s the limit for the students of Powell High School.

Kaleigh Walker Career Empowerment, Community Partners

“Real Forrest Gump” Medal of Honor Hero Inspires High School Students

As highly decorated First Class Army sergeant Sammy Lee Davis reached the podium for a visit with the Powell High School junior class, he opened the floor to questions, rather than reciting the eight-page speech he had prepared. 

Powell High School teacher Rusty Smith helped to bring the Medal of Honor recipient to the school in hopes that his students could apply Davis’ story to their lives. 

As an Army private, his unit fell under heavy fire from the Viet Cong. During the attack, he suffered several gunshot wounds and broke his back. Despite the severity of his injuries, Davis crossed a river in waist-high water to retrieve and save the lives of three fellow soldiers.

“That’s one of the reasons why my country awarded me a Medal of Honor,” he said. “I could have not stood up and done the job I needed to do for my brothers, but I knew in my heart they would do it for me.”

Students asked about his life, military service, recovery from physical injuries, and the medals he earned. 

Davis answered with stories from his service during the Vietnam War and about the heroic acts that ultimately earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military medal of valor.

It was this display of courage that inspired some of the film Forrest Gump, in which video of his Medal of Honor ceremony was used with actor Tom Hanks’ head superimposed over Davis’ – ultimately earning him the “Real Forrest Gump” the nickname. 

During the hour of Q&A with the living legend, Davis told a story about trying snake meat for the first time after running out of food in the jungle; shared the first song he learned on the harmonica – “Oh Shanondoah,” which is still one of his favorites; and detailed a meeting with former Vietnamese soldiers that took place only a few years ago. 

“We sat there for almost an hour, not looking at each other, not talking to the Vietnamese troops,” he recalled. “But after a while, I just wanted them to know that I didn’t hate them. I was just a soldier doing my job. And that’s when they said, ‘I feel the same way.’”

Davis told an inquiring student that despite the horrors he saw, the injuries he sustained, and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) he still battles to this day, he would do it all again if he needed to. 

“Heroes are everyday Americans like us. He doesn’t want all the attention and credit, and to me, that humility goes a long way,” Smith said. “I hope that they could see that some of the qualities and characteristics he has can apply to their own lives.”The biggest lesson for students and community alike? “You don’t lose until you quit trying.”

Kaleigh Walker 865 Academies, Career Empowerment, Student Success

Powell High Student Earns Perfect Score on ACT

Zach Carter, a senior at Powell High who recently earned a perfect score on the ACT, hopes to become a roller-coaster engineer.

Zach Carter made history for Powell High School as one of the few students in the country to make a perfect score on the ACT.

Carter took the test during the spring semester of his junior year and waited a week longer than his peers to receive his score. 

“I was pretty relieved,” Carter said. “They called me down to the guidance counseling office to surprise me. It was pretty special.”

To make the accomplishment even more impressive, Carter has dealt with vision problems all his life. He was born with motor nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes, and said he “didn’t really have sight until a few months into my childhood.”

The Powell High senior received training and assistance through Knox County Schools to “help me work at a comparable standard to everyone else around me,” he said.

His mother, Stephanie Carter, said she is proud of her son and how he overcomes his obstacles.

“He’s never let his vision hold him back from what he wants to do,” she said. “He just pushes through it and finds a different way of accomplishing it.”

Principal Dr. Chad Smith believes Carter sets an example for younger students.

“When you let school work for you, look what it can do,” he said. “There should be no excuses. I think that’s the true testament.”

Carter credits his ACT success to teacher Micaiah Smoker’s ACT prep “boot camp.” PHS students of all ages are invited to attend a three-hour, Saturday morning course for test-taking tips, practice tests, and goal-setting. Smoker said students who attend generally see a two- to three-point increase in their score.

“Professionally, it made me feel like the work has been put in,” Smoker said, regarding Carter’s achievement following the boot camp. “It’s a monumental thing for him and Powell High School.”

What’s the next step for this soon-to-be graduate? Carter recently toured Ohio State University and the University of Tennessee, taking particular interest in their marching band and engineering programs. 

He said he hopes to continue participating in the band while working towards his dream career of becoming a roller coaster engineer. 

Regardless of where Carter decides to continue his education, he will be remembered at Powell High School.

“That accomplishment is something we’ll still be talking about long after Zach’s moved on, to show that it can be done with extra hard work, determination, and the right attitude,” Smith said. 

 

KCS Hall Pass Great Educators, Student Success

Powell High Earns Renaissance Recognition

The Renaissance Program, at Powell High School, supports activities such as Winter Wishes, which provides a holiday gift to every student. In 2019, principal Chad Smith, facilitator Julie Liford, and teacher Beth Mooney took a moment to celebrate a successful Winter Wishes celebration.

An effort to build positivity has resulted in national recognition for a Knox County high school.

Powell High School was recently designated a Platinum-level School of Distinction by the Jostens Renaissance program, which celebrates schools that are making a positive impact on their climate and culture.

Beth Mooney, a science teacher and Renaissance faculty sponsor, said PHS has participated in the Renaissance program for more than two decades, but has renewed its focus on the initiative recently.

Renaissance emphasizes six R-themed priorities: respect, recognize, reward, reinforce, relationships and results. To that end, Mooney said Powell sponsors a variety of activities, including pep rallies, positive messages and events such as Winter Wishes, in which every Powell student receives a holiday gift before Winter Break.

To earn the Platinum distinction, Powell met 14 benchmarks, in areas including social media messaging; recognition of students and faculty; and a commitment to graduation.

Mooney said PHS teachers and staff are focused on students, adding that “We want to make this an inclusive place and promote a family feel where everyone is welcome.”