VALLEY LEE, Md. — A team of students from St. Mary’s Ryken High School successfully completed and tested their first drone, the OA-2E Phoenix UAS, on March 27, 2025, as part of a groundbreaking partnership with Offshore Aviation Group (OAG) and OffshoreUAS. The functional check flight took place at OAG’s test facility in Valley Lee, marking a milestone for the student group Knightwerks and highlighting the school’s innovative approach to STEM education.
The Knightwerks team, led by senior Aiden Abell, includes seniors Matthew “Tre” Green, Sergio Guadalupe, Max Nameth, Edwin Salvador, and juniors Richard Anderson, Nicholas Hawker, and Gracie Thomas. Over February and March, they constructed the unmanned aerial system (UAS) using materials and guidance from OAG, a Valley Lee-based leader in UAS production. The OA-2E Phoenix, designed for U.S. Army training and testing, passed its initial flight test, demonstrating the students’ ability to apply classroom knowledge to real-world engineering challenges.
Credit: St. Mary’s Ryken
“This partnership with Offshore Aviation Group and OffshoreUAS is a transformative opportunity for our students,” said Rick Wood, president of St. Mary’s Ryken. “It brings real-world aviation and engineering experience directly into our curriculum and empowers our students to apply their knowledge in a hands-on, meaningful way. We are proud to work alongside leaders in the industry who share our commitment to innovation, education, and student success.”
Flight Academy Instructor Gerald Swift guided the students throughout the project, with additional mentorship from OAG’s Reese Matthew and Kyle Matthew. The initiative was spearheaded by OAG founder and CEO Robert Hicks, a St. Mary’s Ryken parent. “We are very grateful to Offshore Aviation Group for affording our students this opportunity,” Swift said. “This one-of-a-kind aviation and engineering experience in a high school program elevates our curriculum above academics; it allows our students to put their learning into direct practical application. And, our students learn the responsibility, and reward, of producing a product for a real-world customer enabling their unique mission needs. Our goal is to have every St. Mary’s Ryken aviation and engineering student participate in these builds during their high school experience.”
OAG produces approximately 120 OA-2E drones annually, which are large-scale, programmable systems used by the Department of Defense for non-combat purposes, such as training and testing, according to the company’s website offshoreaviationgroup.com. Through the partnership, students worked alongside an apprentice engineer and faculty to assemble airframes, install avionics, and integrate motors and fuel systems, gaining hands-on experience in a structured academic environment.
The collaboration reflects a growing emphasis on STEM education in U.S. high schools. A 2023 report from the National Science Foundation nsf.gov noted that early exposure to engineering and technology fields significantly increases students’ likelihood of pursuing related careers. For St. Mary’s Ryken, the initiative aligns with its Flight Academy program, which aims to prepare students for aviation and engineering professions by blending classroom learning with practical application.
The successful flight test of the OA-2E Phoenix UAS underscores the potential of industry partnerships to enhance educational outcomes. With OAG and OffshoreUAS providing aircraft, resources, and expertise, St. Mary’s Ryken is positioning its students at the forefront of technological innovation, offering a model for other schools seeking to bridge the gap between academics and industry demands.