Elizabeth City, N.C. — Before the ribbon-cutting, Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools Superintendent Keith Parker offered a brief history lesson to the crowd. “When the Wright brothers came to Elizabeth City to get to Kitty Hawk, people asked, ‘Why are you here?’” he recalled. More than a century later, northeastern North Carolina may have its answer. In the same region where the Wright brothers once chased the seemingly impossible dream of flight, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) has emerged as a nationally recognized HBCU aviation program, now helping launch a new generation of pilots, drone operators, aviation managers and aerospace professionals.
ECSU’s aviation legacy has expanded again as Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools (ECPPS) and ECSU officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the ECPPS Aviation Academy at Northeastern High School May 15, creating dual-enrollment opportunities, hands-on aviation experiences and a direct pathway into ECSU’s aviation program for local high school students.
The partnership marks the first official dual-enrollment collaboration between ECPPS and ECSU and comes as aviation and aerospace industries continue to grow across North Carolina and the nation.
“Today marks more than the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding,” ECSU Chancellor Dr. S. Keith Hargrove said during the ceremony. “It marks a shared commitment to the future of our students, our region, and the growing opportunities within aviation and aerospace.”
During the ceremony, Parker connected the region’s aviation history to the opportunities now being created for students at Northeastern High School, where the Aviation Academy will be housed.
Under the agreement, ECPPS students in grades 11 and 12 will have access to dual-enrollment courses in Aviation Science, Air Transportation and Aviation Management at no enrollment cost. ECSU will also provide access to aviation faculty, flight training resources, desktop flight simulators, drones, virtual reality headsets, pilot ground school preparation kits and other aviation-related technology and equipment.
The district will oversee program implementation, staffing, student recruitment and work-based learning experiences, while also covering student fees for flight lab hours and instructional materials.
“This initiative is important because aviation is not simply an industry of the future—it is an industry of right now,” Hargrove said. “North Carolina and our nation continue to experience growing demand for pilots, aviation managers, drone operators, aerospace professionals, and STEM leaders. We want students from this region to be prepared to lead in those spaces.”
Hargrove said the partnership aligns with ECSU’s continued expansion in aviation education and its goal of creating opportunities for students in northeastern North Carolina close to home.
“We do not want young people to believe they must leave northeastern North Carolina to find world-class opportunities,” Hargrove said. “We want them to see those opportunities right here at home.”
The agreement also calls for both institutions to collaborate on internships, job shadowing opportunities and workforce development experiences designed to connect students directly with the aviation industry.
Among those recognized during the ceremony was Northeastern High School sophomore Abel E. Sutton, who will attend ECSU this fall through dual enrollment. Sutton has been part of the aviation program at Northeastern High School since the start of the school year in August.
“One of the most exciting parts of this journey has been discovering how many paths aviation offers. Some of us may become pilots, engineers, mechanics, or leaders in the aviation industry,” Sutton said.
ECPPS officials described the partnership as an investment in the future workforce of northeastern North Carolina and a way to provide students with direct access to high-demand career fields without leaving the region.
“What makes this partnership especially meaningful is that it creates a clear pathway, from high school classrooms to college coursework, from curiosity to career, and from dreams to real opportunities in the workforce,” Hargrove said.
More than a century ago, the Kitty Hawk postmaster wrote of the Wright brothers: “I like them, but they are crazy. They think they can fly.” ECPPS and ECSU made it clear they believe northeastern North Carolina students can, too.