Helping teens who are struggling with grief to take flight
Mentor Jack Howell has been an educator in many different settings over the years, including high schools and higher education institutions, but his true fervor is helping at risk teens to fly.
A retired colonel who served 25 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Howell explained that his enterprise, Teens-In-Flight, was the result of his experiences as a casualty assistance officer (CAO). The task of a CAO is to inform the families of service members who are severely injured or killed and assist them with the administrative work surrounding the tragedy.
When the process is completed, the CAO often returns to normal duties and the family is left to its grief.
"Those assignments, coupled with the experience of teaching in inner city high schools, provided me with the opportunity for close observations of families grieving and dealing with sudden, unexpected life-altering tragedy," said Howell, a mentor for criminal justice/terrorism (
SOS-440) courses at Thomas Edison State College. "These events can have a crushing effect on teenage family members, often leading them to become withdrawn, distrustful and to exhibit negative behavior."
Teens-In-Flight, a foundation to support the families of military who are struggling with loss or grief, was established with the belief that by providing teens an opportunity to earn a free private pilot's license (valued at $9,000), positive changes take place.
"I believe that providing this experience will help these teens heal and diminish some of their grief," said Howell, who donates any monetary compensation he receives from Thomas Edison State College directly to the program.
It is that commitment that affords Howell the skills to educate students of any age — from teenagers to adults. And, although he enjoys the face-to-face interaction of the traditional classroom or the cockpit, Howell also sees the benefits of the online model for college course work.
"Mentoring at Thomas Edison State College has been a wonderful experience for me; the students have shown great intellectual curiosity and determination," said Howell, who explained that each learning format offers its own unique challenge. "I enjoy the
online format because I think it is important that emphasis be placed on the freedom it gives a student."
Students will also learn that Howell is an eternal optimist.
"I don't believe in the word 'no.' Several years ago, while on active duty in the Marine Corps, I removed all negative words from my desk dictionary," he said. "I still have this dictionary and it was the subject of a
Daytona Beach News-Journal article in January. Bottom line, don't give me a thousand excuses why it can't be done, give me the reason it
will be done."
And while "doing" is a philosophy that permeates Howell's personal mission; it is obvious that educating is how he facilitates it.
Howell's educational background includes a BS from Monmouth College in West Long Branch, N.J.; an MA from Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.; and a PhD from Southeastern Seminary in Jacksonville, Fla. He also attended the Naval War College.
Originally from Lakewood, N.J., Howell now resides in Palm Coast, Fla., with his wife, Samantha, who is a co-director at Teens-In-Flight. To find out more about the program, or to view video testimonials from the flight students themselves, visit:
www.teens-in-flight.com.
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