MENOMONIE (March 2, 2022) - "The more doors that are opened, the more new doors you discover," said
Drew Scott, a senior on the 2021-22 UW-Stout men's basketball team.
In addition to playing basketball for the Blue Devils and pursuing a technology education degree, Scott is serving in the Wisconsin Air Force National Guard as an avionics technician. Serving in the Air Force has opened many doors for Scott and has given him many new doors to discover.
Drew Scott is welcomed home.
Scott came to Stout after receiving his associate degree at Western Technical College in La Crosse. Scott competed in both basketball and baseball at Western Tech, and he has made lasting memories on all the collegiate teams he has been a part of.
Scott continues to make memories serving in the Air Force National Guard as an avionics technician where he checks and makes sure that the Air Forces planes are up to standard. Avionic technicians make sure that all the computer and electronic equipment that is inside the cockpit of the plane is working properly. Scott most commonly works on F16 planes.
Scott joined the Air Force National Guard after high school. He wanted to do something different and be able to have a new experience. The experiences offered by the Air Force gave Scott that opportunity.
"I take experiences as they come," says Scott.
None of Scott's family had served in the military before.
The Air Force National Guard "provided excellent technical training, travel opportunity, and college benefits," Scott said. "And that's all it took."
Scott spent time in Poland, working with the Poland's national Air Force, and was deployed to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in 2019. In Afghanistan, he worked 12-hour shifts checking the jets and planes to make sure they were up to standards, and made repairs when needed.
With his experience as an avionics technician, Scott said he has learned how to study more efficiently. He has to read and understand complicated manuals for the jobs he is doing. The Air Force gave him many great life lessons as well as many connections which he said, "can be used for networking because networking is an important thing to have."
"Networking is super important," said Scott. He has received many great networking opportunities with his connection to the Air Force.
Reflecting on the door open statement, Scott said the Air Force has given him many connections and experiences that will help him as he continues his journey post-college.
Scott is planning to graduate this semester with a degree in technology education. Currently, he is student-teaching at Menomonie High School where he is still constantly learning and expanding on his past experiences.
"I have experience with more of the technology side of things, but I had to teach a unit on welding," said Scott, "so I have been practicing my welding skills a lot recently."
As for basketball, Scott was having a great season for the Blue Devils before suffering a season-ending injury during practice. Before his injury, Scott started all 17 games and was leading the WIAC in field goal percentage, shooting 70.6 percent from the floor (60-85) while averaging 8.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Scott was named to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
Scott has opened many doors in his life, but he has many more doors to discover and open in his life.
