Weatherford Senior Benjamin Tucker Named Aerospace Student of the Month
WEATHERFORD, Okla. — Benjamin Tucker, a senior at Weatherford High School in Weatherford, Okla., has been named the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics aerospace student of the month for November 2026.
Tucker’s interest in aviation was inspired by his great-grandfather, Marcel J. Williams, a World War II Lockheed P-38 Lightning pilot who was shot down over Italy and spent 18 months as a prisoner of war.
To date, Tucker has logged 45 flight hours with Epp Aviation LLC. He has passed his private pilot written exam, completed his solo and solo cross-country flights, and is preparing for his private pilot check ride. He begins each school day at Thomas P. Stafford Airport, where he takes an aviation maintenance course.
At Weatherford High School, Tucker ranks in the top 10 percent of his class and is a member of the National Honor Society. A four-year member of the varsity basketball team, he plays guard and was part of the school’s 2025 Class 4A state championship team. He is also a four-year center fielder for the baseball team and was selected as the team’s 2026 Gold Glove recipient.
Outside of athletics, Tucker participates in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, First Baptist Church of Weatherford and the BancFirst Student Board.
Following graduation, Tucker plans to attend Oklahoma State University to study professional piloting while serving in the Air National Guard. His long-term goal is to build flight hours through military service before becoming a commercial airline pilot.
Doug Gunselman, curriculum director for Weatherford Public Schools, nominated Tucker for the recognition.
“Benjamin is exactly the type of student, pilot and person Weatherford Public Schools is proud to send into the aviation industry,” Gunselman said. “He is an outstanding example for our younger aviation students, demonstrating that they can be actively involved in school activities while still making significant progress toward their aviation goals before graduating from high school!”
