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An Education for Change

An Education for Change
As a student at Western Michigan University, Greg Sumner (BS; BA '97) was a medallion scholar, an orientation student leader, studied abroad in Spain, and completed an internship at United Airlines. In his post-collegiate years, Sumner became a pilot for United, co-owns a real estate investment firm, has an MBA from Arizona State, and is the Vice Chair for the National Gay Pilots Association Education Fund. 

“I joined NGPA in 2002. At the time I needed fellowship; people who understood sometimes having to be in the closet while on the job. I found an amazing group of people from corporate to airline pilots,” said Sumner. 

He didn't realize at the time that it would be a connection he made in that group that would lead to his next step. After 9/11, Sumner, like many airline pilots, was laid off. While many of his colleagues left the U.S. to fly for Asian and Middle Eastern airlines, Sumner decided to work on the other side of the industry. A fellow NGPA member helped him get a corporate pilot position, which in turn led to a job in marketing and sales in avionics. In this role, he was able to apply his ‘end user’ experience while learning a side of the industry that pilots don’t usually experience. What may have been a significant transition for many, seemed like a natural progression to Sumner. 

“I got an education for change,” Sumner said. And that’s the biggest advice he gives to current students at WMU, to be flexible and open to experiences and opportunities. That and networking. “Some of my closest friends are the people I met my first year in college; that social aspect is important, but the professional networking is just as important.”

Now that the economic climate has shifted, Sumner, who lives in Phoenix and is based in Houston, is once again an airline pilot, flying 757s and 767s across the country and to South America and Europe. But because of his broad base of experiences as a student, Sumner admitted it would have been OK to not fly again. 

“I was encouraged to use the Medallion to broaden my horizons and take advantage of all the opportunities around me,” he said. As a result, Sumner, who came to WMU to study aviation, also majored in Spanish and minored in business. Those experiences, his interests outside of his degree program, helped him be flexible when the unavoidable happened and his career industry became unstable. 

Sumner decided to attend WMU because he wanted to stay in the Midwest, coming from Chicago, and was intrigued by the Medallion Scholarship. On campus, Sumner was active in a community that he said was always warm and welcoming.

“When I started, there was not a huge push for out-of-state students, so there were not many other students from Chicago,” he said, “I never felt like a number. I loved that you couldn't walk ten minutes without seeing someone you knew. It made campus a lot smaller for me.”

As a recent graduate, Sumner got his foot in the door with the airlines quickly. He moved to Arizona to maximize flight time racking up flying hours as a flight instructor and found a job with United working as a baggage handler and gate agent. 

Today, Sumner’s work with the NGPA is focused toward helping current students. Sumner was asked to join the NGPA Education Fund Board as one of the younger members (closer to the college experience); he has since become the board’s Vice Chairman. The fund gives scholarships to students who wish to be professional pilots, whether they identify as LGBT or are allies to the gay and lesbian community. 

“We are really pushing outreach—we have money to give and we know the need is out there,” Sumner commented. As a former Medallion scholar, he not only sees the value in scholarships, but is committed to giving back because he was given so much. 

He also has plenty of advice for those preparing for a career, “You need a network for a career change. Be supportive of others because you never know when they can return a favor. Be active outside of your job. Before you leave college, work on professional networking and internships because they can help you decide if this is something you really want to do.”

But, as evidenced by Sumner, if you find that the economy or your personal preference change over time, flexibility and a good, strong network are key to finding your next step.