Final Exam.
Year Three. Month Five. #SEA.
Five weeks. Twenty-five classroom days. Four service flights. One IOE flight. Five written exams, two equipment proficiency checks, one CPR test, a final evacuation drill and countless hours spent studying, practicing and praying that we make it.
Well, guess what.
We made it.
All seventy-three of us Alaska Airlines flight attendant trainees took the final exam on Friday. It was a full hour exam, followed by a harrowing fifteen minutes spent pacing the hallway, awaiting our grades. There would be no redo on this exam, no exceptions if you fell below eighty percent.
The clock ticked as we perspired in our brand new polyester blend uniforms. Besides a written final, there was a uniform compliance check, an equipment exam and a final evacuation drill to pass.
After what seemed like forever, the door to the classroom opened.
And we heard music. And clapping. And cheering. There were hugs and tears and high fives.
We had all passed the exam -- all seventy-three of us!
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. At lunch I stepped outside and noticed, for the first time in six weeks, that it was summer.
Throughout the afternoon we kept stopping to take photos with each other. These seventy-two other people sort of grew on me.
Flight attendant training is a complex process. You take a job that can barely be defined on paper and you teach people how to do everything from saving lives to pouring Diet Coke; from balancing your reserve days to flying standby around the world. Being a flight attendant isn't just a job, it's a lifestyle.
Being a flight attendant is the role of a lifetime, and one that all seventy-three of us are now ready for.
Tomorrow, I finish up my final service flight. Monday, I check out on my IOE, or line check. Tuesday I sign H.R. paperwork, Wednesday I graduate and Thursday I meet my base supervisor and receive my crew badge.
And on Friday of next week, I am officially an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant.
Let's go places.
#iamalaska
 |
| Flying into Juneau on a pretty Alaska Airlines 737. |
Five weeks. Twenty-five classroom days. Four service flights. One IOE flight. Five written exams, two equipment proficiency checks, one CPR test, a final evacuation drill and countless hours spent studying, practicing and praying that we make it.
Well, guess what.
We made it.
All seventy-three of us Alaska Airlines flight attendant trainees took the final exam on Friday. It was a full hour exam, followed by a harrowing fifteen minutes spent pacing the hallway, awaiting our grades. There would be no redo on this exam, no exceptions if you fell below eighty percent.
 |
| If you thought training was about pouring Diet Cokes and curling our hair, think again. |
The clock ticked as we perspired in our brand new polyester blend uniforms. Besides a written final, there was a uniform compliance check, an equipment exam and a final evacuation drill to pass.
After what seemed like forever, the door to the classroom opened.
And we heard music. And clapping. And cheering. There were hugs and tears and high fives.
We had all passed the exam -- all seventy-three of us!
 |
| Final exam day! We got this! |
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. At lunch I stepped outside and noticed, for the first time in six weeks, that it was summer.
Throughout the afternoon we kept stopping to take photos with each other. These seventy-two other people sort of grew on me.
Flight attendant training is a complex process. You take a job that can barely be defined on paper and you teach people how to do everything from saving lives to pouring Diet Coke; from balancing your reserve days to flying standby around the world. Being a flight attendant isn't just a job, it's a lifestyle.
Being a flight attendant is the role of a lifetime, and one that all seventy-three of us are now ready for.
 |
| Pool day is pretty much the best. |
Tomorrow, I finish up my final service flight. Monday, I check out on my IOE, or line check. Tuesday I sign H.R. paperwork, Wednesday I graduate and Thursday I meet my base supervisor and receive my crew badge.
And on Friday of next week, I am officially an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant.
Let's go places.
#iamalaska
 |
| Thunderbird power! Let's go places <3 <3 <3 |
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