Taking Off: Griffin Student Blazes Trail in MGA鈥檚 Aviation Maintenance Program
Author: Sheron Smith
Posted: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 12:00 AM
Categories:
Students | School of Aviation | Pressroom
Eastman, GA
Ryan Sapp, right, and Martin Kehayes at the MGA School of Aviation in Eastman.
Ryan Sapp loves working with his hands.
From the time he was a young teenager in Jackson, Ga., he helped his contractor father build houses. Roof work, brick work, hopping on tractors to cut 60-acre fields - you name it, he’s done it.
“I guess that started me on the path of enjoying work more than regular school,” said Sapp, now 20. “But my dad didn’t really want me to go into construction full-time. He talked to me about maybe becoming a pilot, but I didn’t really want to do that.”
Sapp has, however, found another path into aviation. He is about to become the first student from a Griffin Ga.-based dual-enrollment program to complete his certificate in aviation maintenance technology from 名媛直播’s (MGA’s) School of Aviation.
It’s a milestone for the dual-enrollment collaboration between MGA and the (GRCCA) that began in fall 2023. High school juniors or seniors at the career academy can take introductory coursework in aviation maintenance technology and then seamlessly transfer to MGA’s School of Aviation in Eastman to complete their certificates or associate’s degrees.
“Griffin is our first satellite partnership in dual enrollment, and we want to do more because there is such a shortage of aircraft mechanics,” said Martin Kehayes, chair of MGA’s aviation maintenance and structural technology department. “If we can get students interested and working toward an AMT career at an earlier age, that will certainly go a long way in helping us address that shortage.”
Aviation maintenance technicians keep airplanes safe and reliable by inspecting, repairing, and servicing everything from engines and electronics to landing gear and flight controls. In Georgia, where aviation is one of the largest industries, entry-level AMTs typically earn $25–30 an hour, according to various career websites, with significantly higher pay at major airlines or aerospace companies.
The strong employment prospects caught Sapp’s attention early.
“I knew this field would give me the chance to land a nice, well-paying job,” he said.
MGA hired Guy Woodroof, an Air Force veteran who is a pilot and experienced AMT, to teach students in the Griffin Region College and Career Academy dual-enrollment program. Eight are currently enrolled.
“It’s a huge opportunity for any high school student to not only learn the general topics in aviation maintenance, but they get a six-month head start when they transition to the MGA program,” he said. “I enjoy sharing my knowledge of aviation to young people like Ryan who want to learn. He was a great student, and I am confident he will make an excellent mechanic.”
Sapp recently earned the FAA certification that qualifies him to perform airframe work. After he graduates from MGA this December, he plans to pursue powerplant certification so he can work on aircraft engines and the systems that keep them running.
He hopes to catch on at Delta Air Lines or UPS, or maybe move to Alaska, where A&P and AMT work is plentiful. Another long-term goal is to save enough money to return to school to study engineering.
“I’m fine with working for a few years to get myself a little bit of a nest egg,” Sapp said.
His advice to students interested in the Griffin-MGA program, or in AMT in general, is simple: be ready to learn.
“Pay attention,” he said. “Ask questions. Be curious.”
For more information about aviation maintenance program at Griffin Region College and Career Academy, visit . See mga.edu/aviation to learn more about MGA’s School of Aviation programs.