Thomas Sando Named 2026 Third-Place National Teacher of the Year

The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) and Rolls-Royce National Teacher of the Year program recognizes teachers whose classrooms send students toward careers in aviation and STEM.

This year’s third place winner is Thomas Sando, aviation instructor at the Williston Basin Career & Technical Education Center in Williston, N.D. Through visionary leadership, authentic hands-on learning, and a commitment to expanding opportunities for rural students, Sando has built one of North Dakota’s premier high school aviation programs and a model other educators now replicate.

Sando’s vision creates “inclusive opportunities that inspire students—especially those who never imagined a future in aviation—to pursue aerospace careers,” said Rodney Wilson, president of AFA’s David C. Jones Chapter.

Sando wants every student to get their hands on aviation, not just read about it. Using the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Foundation STEM curriculum, students immerse themselves in aviation. They fly simulators, design and build, run drones, and take apart aircraft systems. They also experience it out of the classroom with tours of airports and control towers, university aviation programs, aerospace manufacturing floors, and a first flight that brings everything they learned to life.

How Sando Built an Aviation Program in Williston

Former students have earned FAA pilot certificates, become certified flight instructors, pursued collegiate aviation degrees, entered military aviation, and launched careers across the aerospace industry. Others simply discovered the confidence to pursue dreams they once thought were beyond their reach.

Sando turns aviation expertise into “life-changing experiences” that push students toward opportunities they never imagined, said Jason Germundson, superintendent of Williston Basin School District 7.

Sando understands the power of that first flight. Growing up in western Washington, a ride with his uncle in a small aircraft sparked his passion for aviation. After earning a degree in Aviation Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and beginning a career in airport management, he realized his true calling was inspiring the next generation. In 2018, he accepted the challenge of building Williston’s aviation program.

Beyond the classroom, Sando is a Certified Flight Instructor, FAA Safety Team Representative, Master Aviation Educator, and AOPA National Teacher Trainer. He has provided more than 650 hours of flight instruction while mentoring students toward FAA certifications and helping educators establish aviation programs across the country.

“Mr. Sando didn’t just teach me to fly. He believed in my potential, mentored me every step of the way, and helped launch the aviation career I have today,” said Jacob Donner, a former student and now a first officer with SkyWest Airlines.

Recognizing that meaningful aerospace education depends on strong partnerships, Sando co-founded the Western Star Aviation Foundation, helping secure more than $200,000 in grants, scholarships, equipment, and educational resources. Those partnerships support introductory flights, industry tours, mobile STEM outreach, scholarships, and a student-built Zenith CH-750 Cruzer aircraft, allowing students to construct a real airplane from the ground up.

His students also volunteer at EAA AirVenture’s KidVenture, earn FAA drone certifications, visit the University of North Dakota’s nationally recognized aviation program, tour Cirrus Aircraft, and participate in engineering and STEM events that connect classroom learning with real-world careers.

Working in rural North Dakota, Sando proves that geography should never limit opportunity. By building partnerships with industry, higher education, military organizations, and community leaders, he continues removing financial and geographic barriers so students can experience world-class aerospace education close to home.

His growing list of honors reflects that impact, including recognition as the 2025 A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Educator of the Year by the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the 2025 Civil Air Patrol North Central Region Aerospace Educator of the Year.

Sando is “an innovative aerospace educator” whose work is opening doors for rural students while helping shape the future of aviation education, said Jim Simons, president of the North Dakota AFA.

As the 2026 Third Place National AFA/Rolls-Royce Aerospace/STEM Teacher of the Year, Sando will serve as an AFA Aerospace Education Ambassador, receive a $1,000 award, and share his innovative program with educators at national conferences. His work demonstrates that when teachers combine vision, authentic learning, and strong partnerships, they don’t simply teach aerospace—they inspire the next generation of pilots, engineers, technicians, innovators, and military leaders.

As Sando often says, every airplane eventually leaves the runway. Great teachers make sure every student believes they can too.

The AFA Mary Anne Thompson/Susan Mallett National Aerospace/STEM Teacher of the Year program is proudly sponsored by Rolls-Royce.