Twenty area high school students now have a better understanding of where their career paths will take them thanks to an Aviation and Missile Command educational outreach program.

The students graduated from Adventures at AMCOM on Friday, completing a week of learning about the AMCOM technical, acquisition and sustainment missions as well as flying a Kiowa helicopter simulator; touring the Prototype Integration Facility, Army labs and Joint Systems Integration Facility; and viewing demonstrations of unmanned aircraft systems, electromagnetic radiation on ordnance, helicopter electrostatic discharge and manmade lightning.

"Adventures at AMCOM is an educational outreach program where students learn about what we do at AMCOM and Team Redstone in hopes that we pique their interest in potentially looking at federal employment as a career opportunity," said Brian Wood, director of AMCOM G-3 (Operations), which oversees the program.

During graduation Friday, Maj. Gen. Douglas Gabram told the students that, besides the technical aspects of working on Redstone Arsenal, he hopes they also learned about the employees who make up the AMCOM and Team Redstone team.

"It's all about teamwork and relationships. That's how we get things done in the Army," Gabram said.

Gabram quizzed the students about their college plans and career aspirations, telling them, "when you get done with your education come to AMCOM."

Many of the students expressed gratitude for being part of Adventures at AMCOM.

"I feel lucky because I was chosen to be in this program," said 14-year-old Fernando Dubon, who will be attending New Century Technology High School in the fall.

"Being part of this program, makes my future, my progress, my career look better and will help on applications when I apply for college."

Fernando enjoyed touring missile testing displays and the week's team building exercises, such as the Lego building race and supply chain activity.

"Learning to understand teamwork, I think, is the valuable thing about this program," he said.

Both Kyndall Skelton, a senior at Huntsville High School; and ReAuna Heard, a freshman at New Century Technology High School, said Adventures at AMCOM helped them to make decisions about their future careers.

"We learned about all the different job opportunities available at AMCOM as well as Redstone Arsenal," Kyndall said. "It helped me understand what goes on here and if I want to work here. It gave me insight into what I may want to do with my future."

ReAuna is thinking about changing her career aspirations from the biomedical field to logistics.

"This experience is helping to push me in a different direction," she said.

Kyndall enjoyed learning about helicopters and how they are tested while ReAuna enjoyed the helicopter simulator.

For some of the students, Adventures at AMCOM reinforced the career plans they are already considering.

"I wanted to learn about engineering and the many opportunities at AMCOM and around the Arsenal," said Alexander Hendrix, a senior at Sparkman High School. "I plan to use the information I learned to help better my career. I learned a lot about being an engineer and the many different fields of engineering. I'm still looking for the right one for me."

Adventures at AMCOM graduates include: Destiny Adams, Phillip Arnston, Garrett Carr, Bianca Convers, Vashti Convers, Turner Dauma, Fernando Dubon, Carly Fridlin, ReAuna Heard, Alexander Hendrix, Tucker Higgins, Trey Lambert, Mikaela McGee, William Morris, Kyndall Skelton, Jaidan Slagle, Jonah Snead, Samuel Solley, Taylor Tidmore and Jacob Whitlock. The program manager was Maj. Jennifer Guerrero.