A Lasting Legacy

I don't view this as a job. I view what I do as a calling.

Susan "Sue" Veverka's humor about her impressive eighteen-year tenure as an Aviation History and Mathematics instructor at PIA Pittsburgh, can be found in one of her family's favorite jokes: Who will retire first, her or one of her sons?” With a robust passion and deep-rooted pride in helping mold the aviation technicians of tomorrow, there is a great value in the lifelong impact Veverka’s contributions have had on so many students who are now industry professionals. This becomes evident to her students from the first words she speaks at orientation: "Welcome to PIA. This is your first day, and you are buying into our reputation which speaks volumes in the industry."

Before a student at the Pittsburgh Campus begins to physically work on an aircraft as part of their program, they must pass Aviation History. "They need to get a feeling for what it was like when people only dreamed of flying. They have to feel it. I really strive for them to not only understand that but really feel it," said Veverka on the deeper purpose of the course. This creates a tri-fold connection between past, present and future. She passes on a respect for the past of aviation that students use as they continue their education, learning the technical and mechanical aspects applicable to present day aviation.

Veverka brings an avant-garde approach to teaching her mathematics class, easing many students’ apprehension of being able to succeed by directly relating course material to aviation. She relates an algebraic equation to the balancing of weight on an aircraft. Just as an aircraft has a concise calculation to be properly balanced, so does an equation. To solve the equation by balancing it is the goal. Creative analogies like this help put her students in a more confident position to succeed. Her unofficial

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SUSAN VEVERKA

Instructor

It is now your responsibility as the next generation to write history, so do a good job of it.

definition of Algebra is the “ability to think logically” which she then directly relates to what it takes to diagnose and repair an aircraft, the ability to assess the details, think logically, and find the solution. She expresses the seriousness of the career they are entering into by creating a safe space for them to learn and make mistakes while on the way to understanding. Veverka then shares with them a short but meaningful piece of advice that will aid them in her mathematics classes as well as their ultimate aviation career; “Check your work, then check it again to be sure.”

Years before working at PIA, Veverka vividly recalls attending a local Brentwood 1976 Fourth of July parade where a passing PIA float caught her eye — so much so that she felt inclined to take a picture of the float despite having no direct knowledge of what PIA was at the time. Little did she know then that she was seeing a foreshadowing of her future and her life's legacy as an instructor at that same institute. She helps put people in the professional position to allow planes to safely come and go only a few thousand feet away from where she once marveled over planes as a young girl with her father at Allegheny County Airport.

The passion she exhibits not only for what she teaches but also the students she teaches is physicalized in what she refers to as her hall of fame. This is a collection of items that students have given her as gifts of appreciation throughout the years. Not only has she kept these many different gifts as badges of honor for the lives she has positively impacted, but she recalls each student’s name and where they hailed from. A good example of this is an aerial photograph from 2001 of Pittsburgh’s three sports stadiums given to her by a former student. Without hesitation, she was able to recall not only his name but where he was from, Bob Marshall from West Virginia. This is a true testament to the reciprocal impact that she has had on her students and that they have had on her. It exemplifies a woman who cares about educating her students and about them as people, connected by a shared passion for aviation… past, present and future.

In reflecting on the decades of dedication and innovation that has brought aviation and humanity to where it is today, Veverka leaves her Aviation History students with this thought and challenge: “It is now your responsibility as the next generation to write history, so do a good job of it.” 

A token of appreciation from Veverka’s student gift hall of fame. A metal airplane made by one of her students in metal shop, personalized with Veverka’s favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Always looking for ways to broaden her students knowledge and appreciation of aviation, this Technician cover highlights a field trip Veverka took students on to the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Airshow in 2007 held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

This poster signed by the Flight Engineer, George Cohen, was gifted to PIA and is still displayed in Veverka’s office. Further reinforcing Veverka’s destined connection to Aviation, George Cohen happens to be Veverka’s neighbor. Upon her request, Cohen has even come in to speak with her Aviation History class.