~ Scholarship Corner ~
By Chris Nugent
We closed the 2020 scholarship application cycle in mid-November, and I am happy to report that we received a total of 29 applications! This is up slightly from the 24 we received in 2019, and in looking through the submissions, it’s encouraging to see that in spite of the recent turmoil in the aviation industry, there is still a strong commitment to aviation careers by high school and college age individuals.
As is generally the case, we received a significant number of applications from students enrolled in the aviation program at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) and the aviation programs at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and the University of North Dakota. However, we also saw an increase in applications for students enrolled at other universities such as Arizona State and local flight schools such as ATP. With regard to career objectives, most of the applicants are focused on becoming professional aviators (read: airline pilots), with several expressing interest in becoming career CFI’s.
The scholarship committee is already hard at work evaluating the applications and we expect to complete our selection of winners before the Christmas holiday. We’ll be awarding 8 scholarships again this year, each valued at $2,500.
Thanks again to those of you that have recently donated to the scholarship program. However, as I mentioned in last month’s update, we are still far behind in funding the program for the current award cycle. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the scholarship program as we close out this calendar and tax year. The winners are truly appreciative, and it helps APA fulfill our mission of building the next generation of Arizona aviators!
Thank you again for your continued support of the scholarship program and Happy Holidays!