BHS Spotlight--Where Are They Now? Featuring Jason Hughes, Class of 1998
December 05, 2018
BHS Alumni Spotlight--Where are they now?
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Burwell High School is excited to continue to feature alumni and their accomplishments. We hope this will inspire and encourage current BHS students! This month we feature 1998 grad, Jason Hughes. Check out his questionnaire and pictures of him at work!
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Name: Jason Hughes
Graduation Year: 1998
Where do you reside (City, State): Lincoln, Nebraska
Education, Schools Attended, Degrees Attained:
University of Nebraska-Kearney, College of Business and Technology, Business Administration with an Emphasis in Airway Science
-What is your current job and how did you get started there? What kinds of things do you do in your job?
I am currently employed as a First Officer (Co-Pilot) with Southwest Airlines. I was selected to interview with Southwest about six months ago after working and building experience in various roles over the last fifteen years. Over the years I have worked as a Flight Instructor for the University of Nebraska, then, as a Corporate Pilot flying private aircraft and finally working for a smaller airline for about the last 7 years as a Co-Pilot, Captain, and finally as a Line Check Airman where I would evaluate existing and newly hired pilots in their job performance at the airline.
-Have you had any other jobs/careers of interest?
When I was in High School at Burwell back in the 1990’s, I worked on computers and built webpages for companies out of my parent’s basement.
-Do you ever come back to Burwell?
I come back to Burwell all the time. My parents still live here and I have many close friends here. It’s always great to come back, get away from the city, and catch up with friends and family.
-What is your favorite memory of Burwell High School?
“Cruising the square” was always a favorite. I can remember before cell phones really were around much, if you thought you could get ahold of someone, you had to abandon the square and go call from the “free phone” over by the Livestock Market and then hope you could still catch them at home and meet them somewhere. Otherwise, if they had a CB, you might be able to use that. I don’t know how many miles I logged around that piece of real estate in downtown Burwell, but I’m sure it’s staggering.
-How did your experience at BHS impact your career/life path?
I think you learn quickly in a farming and ranching community the importance of working hard and staying true to your word. Nothing came easily for anybody who lives in this part of the country, and you learn fast in that type of environment what people expect of you and it molds you as a person in a very positive way I feel. I always try to remember that respect is earned, never given. I knew that no matter how important your role in your job was, if no one respected you, the job title was pointless. That was something that was instilled in you, not just at BHS, but by the whole community.
-What piece of advice would you give current BHS students?
Stay focused and determined. If you’re passionate about something in your life, pursue it. I wasn’t exactly a scholar in High School, but I had great teachers who saw potential in me that I had yet to discover within.
-What are your hobbies?
I love to play the guitar although over the last couple of years, I haven’t had time to play as much as I’d like. I also enjoy running.
-What was the last book you read? Did you like it?
Fate is the Hunter by Ernest Gann. I loved it. Great Book.
-What was the last movie you watched? Did you like it?
I love holiday movies, so each year around October, I start digging through the Holiday Classics and even though it might be cliché for me, I just finished watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles the other night. I’d say next to Christmas Vacation it’s one of my all-time favorites.
-What is your favorite place to vacation? Why?
That’s a tough question for me. I have always felt my favorite place to vacation depends on a lot of variables that are always changing, but if I had to choose one, I would probably choose Ireland. My Wife and I went there a couple years ago in October and just rented a car and drove from south of Dublin all the way to Belfast in Northern Ireland and back. There is so much to discover beyond the usual sights and sounds and the things we discovered on our own are memories that will last us a lifetime. No matter where we go, we always learn so much about ourselves as people.
-What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?
Honestly, getting a job at Southwest. They receive hundreds of thousands of resumes from extremely well-qualified aviators and just to be selected for an interview blew me away, so when Southwest contacted me in late June of this year to extend me a job offer after my interview, I was pretty much walking on air (no pun intended).
