A hero's welcome: Flathead students cheer high-flying grad
<p>U.S. Air Force Maj. Jason Curtis addresses students on Friday at Flathead High School. Curtis, a 1999 Flathead graduate, spoke to students about the importance of having dreams and chasing them.</p>
<p>United States Air Force Major Jason Curtis addresses the students on Friday at Flathead High School.</p>
<p>United States Air Force Major Jason Curtis addresses the students on Friday.</p>
The charm and charisma of Maj. Jason Curtis captured his audience’s attention from the moment he stepped out onto the gym floor Friday morning.
Curtis returned to Flathead High School for the first time since he graduated from the school in 1999, and he said memories immediately came flooding back to him.
“It’s so great to see so much orange and black,” he said with a smile, staring around the gym at the 1,500 students and teachers.
Curtis is the Opposing Solo pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, a dream he’s cultivated since he first saw them fly over his home in Kalispell many years ago.
Curtis encouraged the students that no matter what it is, their dream is worth pursuing.
“Have a dream and chase it,” Curtis said. “Your dream should challenge you and drive you.”
As a senior at Flathead, he approached one teacher and asked for her help in chasing his dream.
“She took off her glasses and pushed her books aside,” Curtis recalls, “And she said yes.”
That teacher, Jean Barragan, was in the audience as Curtis spoke to the high school students. Curtis turned to her and thanked her during his speech, as students and faculty alike cheered her.
Barragan helped Curtis attend Flathead Valley Community College and then gain entry into the U.S. Air Force Academy a year after he graduated from high school.
Curtis also thanked Barragan for coming not only to his academy graduation in 2004 but his return to the school for a Thunderbirds visit in May.
“The relationships you build in this school can last you a lifetime,” Curtis said, encouraging the students to find mentors in the people around them. “They can be anyone, from teachers here to your friends sitting next to you.”
Curtis laughed as he talked about some of the experiences he’s had as a Thunderbird pilot, saying he’s had the privilege to meet many interesting people from rock stars to public figures. He said often, he and his crew members will talk with these people about their pasts.
“There’s one common thread for us all,” he said: “Failure.”
The students laughed, but Curtis pressed on.
“The real thing that sets them all apart from people sitting next to them is how they deal with failing,” he said. Even though they are guaranteed to fail at some point, Curtis encouraged the students to continue trying to achieve their dreams, no matter what.
As Curtis thanked his audience for their time, the students and faculty stood, cheering for the real-life product of hard work and perseverance.
“It’s not easy to keep the attention of 1,500 students,” Principal Peter Fusaro said afterward. “But during his speech, you could have heard a pin drop.”
Reporter Brianna Loper may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at bloper@dailyinterlake.com.