While enrolled in his second Mohawk College computer engineering program, Denneson Bagallon looked around one day and knew he was in the wrong classroom. Instead of a quiet computer lab, he wanted to be in a lively work environment. And while Denneson was still interested in a technical job, he wanted to literally get his hands dirty by completing hands-on tasks rather than digital ones. The solution? Taking to the skies — or at least helping planes to do so through a career as an aircraft technician.
“If you love working with your hands, being creative, and want to get into a field that is highly competitive in terms of work performance, this is a career for you,” says the graduate of Mohawk’s Aviation Technician – Aircraft Structures program. “I think the most important career goal during my time as a student at Mohawk was to be doing something I completely enjoyed. Being that my motto in any career should be: Passion first and the rest will follow.”
With passion leading the way, Denneson turned to a close friend for advice. His friend recommended the Aircraft Structures program. Having already completed previous education at Mohawk, Denneson’s decision to continue his post-secondary education at the college was easy.
“Studying at Mohawk was my first option due to the campuses being in my hometown and was also an easy choice since I had an idea that I just wanted to pursue something within the means of a diploma,” he says.
Once Denneson enrolled in Aircraft Structures, he discovered exactly what he was looking for. The program, which offers a specialized education in damage prevention and structural repair, is delivered through a hands-on approach. Students spend much of their time in labs using state-of-the-art equipment and even benefit from interactive simulations.
“There were multiple assignments and projects in the aviation program that consistently sealed the deal for me as doing it for a career,” he says. “Some of those included: constructing a wing box from a blueprint, doing a composite repair patch on an aircraft, and learning the basics of installing fasteners on sheet metal.”
When he graduated in 2019, Denneson was seamlessly able to translate his theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills to a career at KF Aerospace. As Canada’s largest commercial maintenance, repair and operations company, KF Aerospace specializes in engineering, modifications, leasing and air force crew training. In the lively and technical environment Denneson knew he belonged in, he now works as an aviation maintenance engineer – structures (AME-S) apprentice.
“Just the fact that I get to be around enormous pieces of heavy metal that can fly in high altitude is a joy for me every day I step into work,” he says.
