1:26
Samuel L. Jackson had to deal with snakes on a plane, but 150 high school students from around the D.C. area discovered Wednesday that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has to deal with something potentially even scarier.
“I didn’t know that you could transport sharks on a plane,” Eliarys Valle, a senior at D.C.’s Maya Angelou Charter Public School, said.
And where does the shark go? “In the cargo,” Valle said.
That was just one of the discoveries at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s workforce development expo, which gave students a closer look at airport operations, the fire station and police equipment, along with people working in aviation, tourism and public safety.
Courtnie Gore, the Airports Authority’s director of governance and corporate records, said the goal is to introduce students to careers they might never have considered.
“We’re so excited to welcome those students from Alexandria City Public Schools, D.C. Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, so they can understand what opportunities await them here at the Airports Authority,” Gore said.
For Kye Dementi, an 11th-grader at Alexandria City High School, the biggest surprise was how many careers exist beyond the cockpit.
“Especially with the trade school that they have here, like a lot of the hands-on jobs that they offer. I really like those because I like hands-on stuff better,” Dementi said. “Like just technician, electrician, of like just the airplanes, the automobiles around here.”
Students got to go out on the tarmac and take a bus to where the airport’s fire and police departments are stationed. Not only did they get to watch a demonstration by a drug-sniffing dog, but some even got to pose on the back step of an airport police armored vehicle, including London Cullins, a junior at Jackson-Reed High School.
“I got to try on the vest for like the SWAT, like airport people,” Cullins said. “It felt really good. It was really like fun.”
Along with the police and fire departments, Gore said students heard from people working in hospitality and tourism, including airlines and airport lounges.
They also attended panel discussions featuring workers in engineering, finance and the trades, along with representatives from rental car companies, the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration.
And Gore believes there’s a good reason for students to consider a future at the airport.
“In order for us to facilitate the Airports Authority, these are jobs that won’t be conquered by AI, but instead need humans who are experts in their fields. And so, we’re so excited to welcome these students to understand what’s here for them.”
As for Valle, the day offered more than an unexpected lesson about flying sharks. She’s now considering a career in airport law enforcement.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.