Nex-Tech Engages with the Drone Program at Logan High School, KS

On Wednesday, 4th October 2023, the Nex-Tech Economic Development team visited the drone program of Logan High School, Kansas, where we heard the story of Sydney Rider and Jerrod Hofaker. Sydney is a senior who lives on a farm dozens of miles away but got trained in drone aviation by her high school teacher, Jerrod Hofaker. Today, she is a licensed Federal Aviation Administration drone pilot and can fly drones for agricultural and commercial purposes. Jerrod has also trained several students and helped them get their FAA licenses.

The journey of Sydney and Jerrod reflects what #DigitalInclusionWeek actually means for the people we serve in northwest Kansas. It’s the story of people making the most of the limited digital resources available to improve their communities. At Logan High, digital inclusion is about the availability of Nex-Tech’s free internet service, which has connected dozens of high school students to resources with which they can gain the skills of the future.

Stories of resilience like this are why we love and believe in northwest Kansas. We will continue to connect our libraries, schools, small businesses, farmers, hospitals, social services, and more to the global economy. We will always put our communities first. We have been here since 1951. We are here today. We will be here tomorrow.