Mile High Chapter Brings STEM and Recruiting to College & Career Event

The AFA Mile High Chapter attended the annual “College and Career Symposium: Aviation, Public Safety, and Engineering,” where chapter members engaged with young adults and parents about air and space careers, including military service. The Oct. 12 event was hosted at the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum’s Exploration of Flight center in Englewood, Colo.

The College and Career Symposium is a free event for guests to engage with local Colorado organizations. It offers insight into potential careers and colleges of interest in the aerospace sector. In 2026, 225 guests attended: 140 adults and 85 youth.

The Mile High Chapter members featured AFA’s StellarXplorers and CyberPatriot youth STEM programs prominently during the event to build interest in education and careers in STEM. The presence of cadets from Air Force ROTC Detachment 105 also inspired many questions about service in the Air Force and Space Force.

Cadet Maj. Coulter Perkins, pursuing his master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and Silver Wings Cadet Andrew Young, a junior studying aerospace engineering, spoke with students in 7th through 12th grade about their experiences as cadets and their future service in the armed forces. Stephen Gourley, Mile High Chapter education vice president and a retired Air Force colonel, also provided historical perspectives on service to those who attended.

Other exhibitors at the College and Career Symposium included United Airlines, four colleges, and several other organizations with aviation interests. 

This was the sixth year of the symposium. The museum is already preparing for another year of this successful event.