In 2006, San Jose resident (BS in Aviation San Jose State) Antonio Verges was first identified and recommended by the Rotary Club of San Jose East/Evergreen, and subsequently selected as one of four non-Rotarian young professionals to represent Rotary District 5170 in a month-long cultural and vocational program of The Rotary Foundation called Group Study Exchange. As a senior assistant aviation analyst at NASA AMES and a multi-engine rated pilot and certified flight instructor, the then 26-year old Antonio already possessed some of the training and skills required to catapult him into his dream profession of a commercial airline pilot. GSE was that transformative experience that led Antonio to reach for the stars.
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As you can see, today Antonio is a pilot with American Airlines. The first photo shows Antonio and his son Maximillan in the cockpit of one of the planes Antonio flies. The second photo shows Antonio, Max, Antonio's parents, and several crew members.
GSE instilled within Antonio Rotary's motto of "Service Above Self" which he practices by giving vocational talks to students in schools on Chicago's Southside.