Local Hero: Robin Petgrave

"I have a firm belief that because the kids are introduced to aviation at such a young age, they look at things completely differently . . . It will give them opportunities they never had and it will allow them to do anything."

Robin Petgrave is the founder and executive director of Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum (TAM), a Compton-based youth organization that trains youths to fly aircrafts and engages at-risk youth in aviation as a positive influence in their lives. The organization's after-school program teaches kids STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) related areas and encourages them to prepare for college, and most importantly, to dream big.

Born in Jamaica, Petgrave was raised in Boston, Mass., by his mother with his four siblings and spent three years in foster care while his mother worked two fulltime jobs to make ends meet. At age 10, he moved to the U.S., and after watching his friends fall into a destructive life of drugs and alcohol, he was determined to succeed and make something of himself.

Petgrave explored his passion for flying by joining the Civil Air Patrol, and immersed himself in extracurricular activities, blossoming as a track star in high school, eventually even qualifying for the Olympics. On a track scholarship, he graduated from the University of Connecticut and then relocated to LA to pursue acting. He soon, however, discovered small flight schools, and earned his FAA Commercial Helicopter Pilot License and Certified Flight Instructor's Certificate.

Shortly after, he started his own helicopter company, Bravo Helicopter & Wings, which grew into a $3.5 million annual business. During a career day at a local school, Petgrave's passion for mentoring kids and helping the community was sparked after meeting a single mother and her troubled son who Petgrave began to mentor. In 1997, he founded TAM as a vehicle to motivate and mentor at-risk kids. By 2002, at the invitation of the city's mayor, the organization had moved to a 7,000 sq. ft. hangar at Compton Airport and has become a safe haven for youth in the South LA community. Today, the non-profit museum boasts a variety of historical artifacts and displays that explore minorities in the evolution of modern flight. TAM is also the umbrella agency for "Roots and Wings," a soon-to-be-launched mentoring and job training and skills development center.

TAM has formed strategic partnerships to extend its work with at-risk minority youth who face challenges in life. Most recently, TAM partnered with Space X to teach kids about being astronauts, with the goal of sending a kid to the International Space Station in three years. TAM also has partnered with the California Community Foundation and worked with STEM focused programs such as the Compton Unified School District STEM program, and National Girls' Collaborative Program offering innovative programs that teach engineering, flight training and job preparedness. He is currently working with the CUSD on the "Academy Pathway" program that incorporates Project Lead The Way - STEM Curriculum and is offered throughout high school with aviation industry certifications.

Petgrave's work has been covered in major media including Oprah, Ebony magazine - who named him to their 2013 "Power 100" list, CNN, Fox11 and the Smithsonian channel. In 2013, Petgrave presented a talk at TEDxSkidRow. He's also been recognized with the General Noel F. Parrish Award presented by the National Order of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.; the Astronaut Ronald McNair Award presented by National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees; and the Living Legend Award presented by LA County Board of Supervisors.

To find out more about Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum, go to www.tamuseum.org/