June 27, 2024
Larry Kiriluk has always loved airports. In high school, when given the opportunity to commandeer the family car or borrow a friend’s car, he drove 30 miles to the airport just to have dinner and watch the planes take off and land. That youthful enthusiasm was the beginning of a lifelong passion. And for the past 16 years, Kiriluk has fueled that passion by volunteering every week at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), helping passengers find their way.
“This volunteer opportunity has allowed me to continue that passion along with meeting, assisting, and making travelers passage through SEA quicker and less stressful and more enjoyable,” he wrote in a recent volunteer survey.
Who are the SEA volunteers? Located at key information desks throughout the airport and dressed in bright green, the mighty team of SEA volunteers makes your travel experience at SEA easier, less stressful, and more fun. With more people traveling through SEA than ever, the SEA Volunteer program is recruiting new volunteers. Would you like to become an ambassador for the airport and the Puget Sound region? Whether providing directions to rideshares, looking up gate information on the FlySEA App, making dining suggestions, or providing tourist recommendations, SEA volunteers support airport travelers.
Life as a volunteer
Hear from a few of our superstar volunteers about why they decided to become an SEA Airport Volunteer, based on a recent volunteer survey.
“As someone who travels at least two to three times a month, airports are like a second home for me. I love being able to share my love for the airport and all things that come with it.”
“I love to travel and I love airports. Having recently retired, I was looking for some unique volunteer opportunities that would allow me to give back to the community. Happy to report that I made the right decision and really enjoy my volunteer time at SEA.”
“I’ve always loved going to the airport and I know that some people feel overwhelmed in an unfamiliar airport. Helping them get to where they need to be is something I can do!”
What’s it like being a volunteer? Here's what SEA volunteers enjoy most about their time at the airport.
“I love the energy of the airport and interacting with people from all over the world.”
“Airports can be a stressful place, and being able to take some of that load off of travelers is very gratifying. If I can make just one person’s travel experience better, then it’s a shift well done.”
“I love being a great first or last impression as people come and go through SEA, while being a friendly face and source of information to help them navigate what can be a very stressful time. At the end of the day, my goal is to have a positive impact on everyone I come into contact with.”
Volunteers share their stories
SEA volunteers have amazing stories:
- A Little Bit of Grace at the Airport
- SEA Volunteer Goes from Moving Planes to People
- Celebrating Volunteers
- A New Direction – SEA Volunteer Shows Lost Passengers the Way
- Checking In @ SEA | SEA Volunteer Program
Join the volunteer team
If you love meeting new people, like seeing airplanes land and take off, have a favorite tourist destination to share with travelers, or want to see the behind-the-scenes elements of an airport, then you might be a great fit for SEA’s volunteer team.
