In this month’s Scholarship Corner, we will continue to introduce our 2024 scholarship recipients. We had the pleasure of meeting with some of our recent scholarship recipients recently to get an update on their journey towards their aviation careers. I am happy to report that they are working hard and making great progress. It’s always encouraging to see how the APA Scholarship program helps these students achieve their career goals.
It’s also encouraging to see our members continued contributions and commitment to the program. Thank you for supporting this important part of APA’s mission.
Shanley Olson
Shanley is the recipient of a SkyQueenKing scholarship funded by Ms. Karyn King to help young women focused on careers in aviation. SkyQueenKing scholarships are awarded through the APA Scholarship Program. Thank you Karyn!
I grew up a little bit of everywhere, but spent the most living on a small farm in Littlerock, Washington. I had my first flight when I was 12 with my dad. In April 2024, 9 years later, I obtained my Private Pilot certificate. My dream is to fly for a major airline. My two favorite things to do are fly planes and volunteer at aviation events.
I’m so grateful for this scholarship and for the wonderful people I’ve met from Arizona Pilots Association. I will utilize this scholarship to obtain my instrument rating at Chandler-Gilbert Community College which is partnered with UND Aerospace Phoenix. I am also working towards my Associate's degree in Applied Science in Applied Technology.
Nanabah Yazzie
Nanabah’s scholarship was funded by a donation from USAF Captain Kyele Bridel. Kyele is based at Luke AFB and is completing her transition training to the F-35A. Thank you Kyele!
My name is Nanabah Yazzie, I am a senior at Arizona College Prep High School and attending the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) aviation program. I am very excited about the knowledge and skills I would obtain to add to my understanding of a career in aviation as a professional pilot. Through my teachers and mentors, I have been able to hear about the different paths that would lead me to a seat in the cockpit. I had the experience to fly a C-17 and F-16 flight simulator, fly a Cessna and Piper Archer plane and was able take over the yoke during the flight which added more fuel to my passion of becoming a pilot. I would like to attend Chandler Gilbert Community College’s flight school on scholarship because I am confident that I would gain extra experience and knowledge from the training that will be provided.
As a Native American who represents the Comanche, Sac and Fox, and Navajo tribes, I would be one of the first Native American woman pilots. This means a lot to me because I would be blazing a trail as a Native American female pilot in an industry that does not have many women in the cockpit. I would have the knowledge to pass down to others after me so more Native American girls could follow my example. As an athlete and competitive swimmer, I developed time management skills, focus to detail, the importance of meeting deadlines, and developed leadership skills to work toward my Private Pilot's License.
Moises Basuri
Hello, My name is Moises Basauri, I served in the Air Force for four years as an aircraft technician on the F-22A Raptor. My career aspirations, are initially to earn my certified flight instructor license to become a CFI at the University of North Dakota. After obtaining the appropriate hours my later career goal is to become a professional corporate jet pilot and fly under Part 135 operations. Additionally, I aspire to receive a type rating on a Gulfstream G700. The Arizona Pilots Association scholarship will greatly help me pursue my career in aviation as the scholarship funds will go towards increased experience in my training. The scholarship will allow me to train in more advanced, farther, and unique training destinations during my flight training such as MC Clellan, and Palm Springs. These areas which require greater piloting skills will substantially increase my flight training experience and help develop my skills of becoming a professional pilot.
Jon Anderson
I would like to start this off by saying thank you. This scholarship means a lot to me and I am extremely grateful having received it. My career goals are simple, I wish to follow in my dad’s footsteps and become an A&P/IA and then obtain a bachelor’s degree. This goal can stem all the way back to when I was a child, when my dad would let us visit where he worked. I did not know it then, but to say the least, I always had fun when I was there. When I became a teenager, I began assisting him at work. For example, I have helped rebuild a landing gear wheel, and other times, I have shadowed him during his routine maintenance on the plane.
Due to all of my past experiences of working in the field, I gained the passion to work on airplanes. This led me to start A&P school straight out of high school. Currently, I am in the last semester of the program. I will soon have my airframe license and once I am done with the program, I will have my powerplant license. From there, I plan to complete my associate’s degree and then move over to Arizona State University to complete my bachelor’s degree. This scholarship will have a monumental effect on my college experience. Just a portion of the scholarship will help me complete my associate’s and the rest is going to get funneled into my bachelor’s degree. This will help greatly instead since I will be able to focus on my studies instead of having to worry about working to pay off student debts. Career-wise, I wish to obtain a job working with my dad at Embraer Executive Jets, although I do not want to stay there forever. I want to get experience from all corners of the field including general aviation.
More to come next month and thank you again for your support in helping APA build the next generation of Arizona aviation professionals.
Chris