BATON ROUGE — Helix Aviation Academy is soaring to break down barriers and shape the future of aviation in Baton Rouge.

Certified flight instructor Ezzie Smith said he always had a passion for flying, and now he is sharing it with his students.

With less than 4% of U.S. pilots being Black, he said there's a lack of exposure in his community, and he is on a mission to change that.

Smith said he's showing students the sky isn't the limit, there's endless possibilities.

“Working as engineers to design aircraft that are safer working as flight safety inspectors. There’s so many jobs I need to tell you about and show you so you have the opportunity to decide what you want to do,” Smith said.

The influence goes beyond that. The school has an influx of black male educators despite the national average being less than 2%.

Building level leader and Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Nicholas Richard said the faculty’s diversity and collaboration helps educate and motivate students.

“They can see that they too can do it, they too have that push, that grind, that will to want,” Richard said. 

Director of Enrichment and 7th grade Social Studies teacher Lamarcus Lee said he grew up having black male teachers and they had an impact on his career choice. He said he hopes to sow that same seed.

“It’s cool to you know to be the nerdy kid in the class, or it’s cool to come to school, it’s cool to be a male teacher. It pays off in the end,” said Lee.

High school special education coordinator Anthony Collins is another said representation is important for students because it serves as a reminder that anything is possible.

“It’s my job right now to run the race, and then when I reach a place where I pass the baton off, which is to my students, I want to make sure that I give them everything that I carry so they can go a little bit further than me,” said Collins.

The school has 15 black male teachers, and they hope to inspire students that there's no ceiling to what they can achieve.