St. John’s Northwestern Launches Expanded Aeronautics Program with Congressional Visit and Ribbon Cutting
Flight simulation lab, air tunnel and air traffic control course highlight the school’s hands-on, future-focused approach to education
DELAFIELD, WI. – St. John’s Northwestern will host a congressional delegation and a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 15, 5 p.m. to celebrate the expansion of its aeronautics program and officially open its new flight simulation lab.
Those attending include Congressman Scott Fitzgerald, State Senator Chris Kapenga, State Representative Adam Neylon, State Representative Cindi Duchow, Ginger Kollmansberger representing U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, and Delafield Mayor Tim Aicher.
Building on more than 140 years of educational tradition, St. John’s Northwestern continues to evolve as a college preparatory school focused on preparing students for college, careers and an increasingly technology-driven world.
Serving boarding and day students in middle and high school, St. John’s Northwestern provides opportunities for students to explore potential career paths through hands-on, experiential learning. From aviation and engineering to robotics, drones and advanced technology, students are encouraged to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world challenges.
The centerpiece of the expanded aeronautics program is a new flight simulation laboratory featuring six realistic flight simulators. The lab supports the school’s aviation and private pilot program, which is embedded into the academic day and offered in partnership with Wisconsin Aviation and EAA Chapter 320 at Watertown Municipal Airport.
“Giving students the opportunity to begin real flight training while still in high school allows them to develop responsibility, discipline, confidence, and decision-making skills while exploring a potential career in aviation,” said Nick Gnan, CFI, CFII, Aviation Instructor at St. John’s Northwestern.
Gnan explained that watching students progress from their first flight lessons to major milestones, including their first solo flight, is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching aviation.
“The first solo is especially meaningful because it represents the culmination of their hard work and demonstrates just how much they have grown both as pilots and as individuals,” Gnan added.
Students interested in aviation can begin exploring the field well beyond the cockpit. Through the school’s engineering and CAD curriculum, students can design their own airfoils and test them using an air tunnel. A new Introduction to Air Traffic Control course gives students another perspective on the aviation industry through hands-on instruction and simulation.
“When students are given the opportunity to design, build, test, fail, modify, and try again, they learn so much more than engineering concepts from a textbook,” said Kellie Arenz, Engineering Instructor at St. John’s Northwestern. “Through hands-on engineering, students learn to identify problems, analyze what went wrong, and develop possible solutions rather than just looking for ‘the right answer.’”
Arenz emphasized that the lessons students learn through engineering extend well beyond technical skills, helping them develop resilience, creativity, and confidence.
“Students learn that failure is part of the learning process and that it isn’t the end of the process, but it can be used to improve the next version or iteration,” Arenz added. “With persistence, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration, students gain a sense of ownership and confidence. That mindset extends far beyond an engineering classroom into any career or real-world problem.”
“At St. John’s Northwestern, we want students to have opportunities to discover what excites them and begin exploring where those interests could take them,” said Mike Fink, president of St. John’s Northwestern. “Programs like aviation, engineering, air traffic control and drone technology give students meaningful, hands-on experiences while they’re still in middle and high school. It’s about helping them enter college with more than an education. We want them to have a sense of direction, confidence in their abilities and a clearer vision for their future.”
The school’s drone program also extends beyond competition. Students work with both aerial and underwater drones, learn about commercial applications of unmanned aircraft systems and have the opportunity to prepare for FAA commercial drone certification.
“We want to introduce our middle and high school students to a wide range of science, technology and engineering career paths,” said Paul Gardetto, one of the founders of the aviation program and St. John’s Northwestern Alumni ‘81. “By the time they leave high school and enter college, they should already have a sense of the path they want to pursue.”
Gardetto said one of the program’s goals is to help students understand the breadth of careers available within aviation and aerospace.
“Just as not every medical career leads to becoming a doctor, not every aeronautics pathway leads to being a pilot,” Gardetto said. “There’s avionics, air traffic control, drones, aircraft maintenance and jet engine design.”
The aeronautics program is part of a broader effort at St. John’s Northwestern to expose students to emerging fields before they reach college. Alongside established offerings in 3D printing, robotics, engineering and drone technology, the school is exploring future opportunities in areas including automotive engineering, aerodynamics and sound engineering.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Paul for the past two years and watch this program grow from an idea into something that is creating real opportunities for our students,” said Eric Sanchez, Executive Vice President of St. John’s Northwestern. “What excites me most is how much it continues to evolve. We’re not simply teaching students about aviation. We’re giving them access to flight training, simulation, air traffic control, engineering and drone technology and allowing them to experience the many different directions this field can take them.”
About SJN
St. John’s Northwestern is a safe, structured environment that provides each student a foundation for life with specialized programs that are built with future aspirations in mind. SJN is a private co-ed college preparatory boarding and day school and is accepting applications for grades 7–12 and post-graduate. Learn more at stjohnsnorthwestern.org.