Two Emerald Ridge High CTE students finished the school year by making a little history.
Sophomore drone operations student Kaden Magnus and senior video production student Liz Silveria became the first to reach major milestones in their respective classes.
Kaden became the first Puyallup School District student to earn their Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 drone pilot license while still a student in the class. Liz became the first ERHS student to pass the Adobe Animator professional certification.
Kaden passed his test administered at Thun Field on his first attempt just a few days after his 16th birthday. The FAA requires candidates to be 16 or older. Students in ER’s year-long drone class take a mock Part 107 exam but are not required to take the official FAA exam. Earning the drone pilot license allows Kaden to work commercially, something he plans to start doing over the summer.
Liz passed the Adobe Animator professional certification exam with less than 25 minutes remaining in the final video production class of her senior year. The exam is not a requirement for the class but she chose to take on the challenge to improve her understanding of professional animation software.
She is the first ERHS student earn the achievement. In class, Liz made an animated music video that was a finalist for top honors at the PSD-wide Clock Tower Film Festival in March. She also made a film that won Pierce County’s environmental film fest in May. Liz plans to attend Pierce College in the fall.
