{"id":108499,"date":"2026-07-01T09:47:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/?p=108499"},"modified":"2026-09-25T11:11:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T16:11:10","slug":"from-internship-to-airport-operations-dsu-graduate-takes-the-next-step-in-aviation-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/2026\/07\/from-internship-to-airport-operations-dsu-graduate-takes-the-next-step-in-aviation-career\/","title":{"rendered":"From internship to airport operations: DSU graduate takes the next step in aviation career"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

CLEVELAND, Miss. \u2014 <\/strong>One year after spending her summer directing aircraft at George M. Bryan Airport in Starkville, 2026 Delta State University graduate Casey Ray has already taken the next step in her aviation career, joining the operations department at Tallahassee International Airport.<\/p>\n

Ray, a Starkville native who earned her Bachelor of Applied Science in Aviation Management from Delta State this past May, first drew attention through her work ethic and professionalism during a 2025 internship at George M. Bryan Airport. Working under Airport Operations Manager Rusty Bouchillon as an aircraft lineman, Ray handled fueling operations, marshaled aircraft and assisted with the fast-paced daily demands of airport operations.<\/p>\n

Her performance during the internship earned her an expanded role during Mississippi State University football season home games, where she helped manage increased aircraft traffic and operations tied to game-day travel.<\/p>\n

\u201cDirecting planes felt like second nature by the end,\u201d Ray said during her internship experience. \u201cYou realize how much you\u2019ve learned when you\u2019re out there making it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bouchillon said Ray quickly became a dependable part of the airport team during her time in Starkville.<\/p>\n

Now working in Tallahassee International Airport\u2019s operations department, Ray is continuing to build on the hands-on experience she developed at Delta State and during her internship. Her journey reflects the emphasis Delta State\u2019s Commercial Aviation program places on real-world preparation and industry connections.<\/p>\n

\u201cCasey represents exactly what we hope for our students,\u201d said Maggie Moran, Instructor of Commercial Aviation at Delta State. \u201cShe took advantage of every opportunity available to her, gained meaningful experience in airport operations and successfully transitioned into a professional role immediately after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ray\u2019s path to aviation was not a traditional one. Before earning her aviation degree, she worked as a hairstylist while pursuing her education. Her transition into the aviation industry highlights the growing opportunities available through Delta State\u2019s Commercial Aviation program and the determination of students entering the field from a variety of backgrounds.<\/p>\n

Today, as she continues her career in airport operations at Tallahassee International Airport, Ray remains part of a growing group of Delta State graduates helping shape the future of aviation across the region. For more information about aviation programs at Delta State University, visit deltastate.edu\/business-aviation\/commercial-aviation\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":653,"featured_media":108500,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1738,1497],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-college-of-business-and-aviation","category-commercial-aviation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108499"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108501,"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108499\/revisions\/108501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/live-deltastate.pantheonsite.io\/news-and-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}