From student to instructor, Jessica Caravello’s full-circle aviation journey at GTCC

“I’m so passionate about teaching because I was once where they are,” said Caravello.

A phone call and a look toward the sky turned Jessica Caravello’s life around, transforming her from a Guilford Technical Community College student to a full-time aviation manufacturing instructor at the college.

It wasn’t quick and it wasn’t easy but now, the 36-year-old is soaring into her new full-time role with GTCC. Caravello holds an associate degree in applied science in aerospace manufacturing engineering from GTCC and recently served as a part-time instructor in the college’s Aviation Manufacturing Quick Careers Program (AMQCP).

Caravello had been sporadically working toward a GED at GTCC in 2016 when a college representative called to discuss options for entering different programs.

“I remember she gave me a couple of options for schooling, aviation mechanic or diesel mechanic,” Caravello recalled. “When I was making that decision, I went outside my house and looked up. There was an airplane flying over. It resonated with me. I thought ‘OK God.’”

She took the sign to heart and enrolled in the AMQCP, committing several months to the program.

“I took the program from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. I did that for six or seven months while working at the same time,” Caravello said. “I also have five children, and at the time they were small.

“It’s about managing everything and keeping hope alive. You have to know what your ‘why’ is in life. I was very invested. There was no such thing as turning back.”

Caravello had always been mechanically minded. “I always have loved working on cars and motorcycles,” she said.

Airplanes and aviation, however, were new territory.

“I had no background in planes, nor did I understand the concept of flying,” she said.

Immediately after graduating from the quick careers program in 2016, Caravello was hired by HondaJet, working in structural design and helping construct aircraft wings.

“I received three or four different types of certificates in (GTCC’s aviation) program, and that was enough to land employment with HondaJet, along with finishing my GED.”

“To be selected as a candidate for employment, you have to meet certain requirements,” Caravello said. “You take everything you’ve learned and apply it in a six-by-six area using tools and metal. You’re graded to be considered for a job at HondaJet.”

After three years with HondaJet, Caravello returned to GTCC — this time as a part-time adjunct instructor — working alongside her mentor, Tony Turner, who recently retired as head of the AMQCP.

“It has been my privilege to watch Jessica evolve over the last decade into a deeply professional colleague,” said Turner.  “Her passion for teaching and dedication to her students make her an invaluable asset to GTCC.”

She also returned to the classroom as a student, working toward an associate in applied science in aerospace manufacturing engineering that she just completed in May 2026. That degree presented her with several options in the aviation industry including a position at Boeing, however she decided to take a full-time instructor job at GTCC.

“I’m so passionate about teaching because I was once where they are,” said Caravello. “My advice to students is to step out and do something different in an unknown situation, even if it’s uncomfortable, give it a try. That has built a lot of confidence in me in all aspects of life. If you just try, you will amaze yourself. Anybody who is inspired can do it.”

Already fully immersed in her new position at GTCC, Caravello recently joined senior leadership by representing the college at Community College Day hosted by the North Carolina Legislature, where institutions from across the state highlighted what community colleges mean to North Carolina's workforce, economy, and future.