OREANDA-NEWS. Denver International Airport hosted a group of female students from area high schools and universities to promote aviation as a possible career path. In addition, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has proclaimed Sept. 15 as "Girls in Aviation Day" In Colorado.

About one-dozen students received a tour of the airfield and learned about airport operations before hearing from local women about the field of aviation.

"Denver International Airport, as part of the aviation community is proud to present local girls with the opportunity to see the wide variety of opportunities that the field of aviation provides to women today," said Denver International Airport CEO Kim Day. "We hope to inspire girls to become future airport executives, pilots, airline managers, business leaders and more at DIA and beyond."

In addition to hearing from Day about her role as the CEO of the 5th -busiest airport in the United States, students also heard from local female role models, including Denver pilot Amelia Earhart, Colorado Pilots Association President Ann Beardall, Katherine Kennedy a student pilot and aerospace engineering student at CU Boulder, and Stephanie Fijalkoski a new cadet in the Civil Air Patrol and last year's winner of the Amelia Earhart scholarship.

Hickenlooper's proclamation names Sept. 15 as "Girls in Aviation Day," recognizing Colorado's strong tradition of women aviators - including astronaut Eileen Collins and pilot Emily Howell Warner, the first woman captain of a scheduled US airline.