As you know, the Scholarship program is an important part of APA’s mission and it’s always exciting to get updates from our scholarship recipients on their progress toward their career goals. I recently received some updates from some of our 2024 recipients that I’d like to share with you.
Shanley Olson
Shanley was recipient of the SkyQueenKing scholarship funded by one of our members, Karyn King, and awarded through the APA Scholarship program. Shanley is attending Chandler-Gilbert Community college and doing her flight training through UND Aerospace.
Hi Chris,
Sorry I could not attend the APA Annual Meeting, I had my Instrument checkride on that day! (I passed). I am progressing on with the first phase of the Commercial course now. I just did a solo cross country to San Manuel this morning and it was by far my favorite cross country I’ve done so far!
I hope the meeting went well. The photo is when I got to meet Karyn King in person!
Corby Running
As you may recall, Corby is a Navy veteran attending the UND Aerospace flight training program.
Since receiving the Arizona Pilots Association Scholarship, I have continued to make steady progress toward my goal of becoming an airline pilot. I am currently in the time-building phase of my commercial pilot training and anticipate completing my commercial license this fall. I also plan to begin working on my multi-engine add-on to further expand my capabilities as a pilot.
The scholarship from the Arizona Pilots Association has provided invaluable financial support and continues to play a key role in developing my skillset and aviation expertise. I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity and excited to continue pursuing my goals. Thank you again for investing in my journey to becoming an airline pilot. I am proud to represent the Arizona Pilots Association community and look forward to sharing more milestones as I progress in my training.
Jon Anderson
Jon is a 2024 APA Scholarship recipient attending the Aviation Maintenance Technology program at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
Dear Arizona Pilot’s Association,
Around five months ago, I received this scholarship. During that time, I was just about to start my last semester of A&P school. As of now I completed the program, finished and passed all of my required testing to obtain my license, and finally received my license. However, during this last semester, I felt behind compared to my classmates. I wished to fix that problem. To understand everything that I did in the last semester, I will have to explain how A&P school works. The school is broken into three sections: general, airframe, and powerplant. As each section is completed in school, you are eligible to test for that section. Each section requires a written test, an oral test, and a practical test to be passed. In total, there are three written tests, three oral tests, and three practical tests. When I got this scholarship, I had only two written tests completed. During this last semester, I studied non-stop and I completed and passed all of my oral exams, all of my practical exams, and my last written exam, finally granting me an A&P license. As of right now, I am currently taking summer classes to work towards my associate degree and eventual bachelor’s degree. At the same time, I plan to get a job at an airline or with my dad at Embraer to start getting more experience in the aviation field.
This is a photo of my entire A&P class on our last day.
Jon Anderson
AZ Pilot’s Scholarship Recipient
A&P Mechanic
The aviation industry remains strong and continues to grow, and this is reflected in the number of applications that APA receives for the scholarship program. And it is encouraging to see the drive and commitment of the applicants in pursuing aviation careers.
Thank you again for your commitment to the Scholarship program and the next generation of Arizona aviation professionals.
Fly Safe!
Chris