Aerospace professionals group announces 37 scholarships

The organization cemented relationships with air carriers, businesses, and other aviation professionals to fund scholarships that allow recipients to pursue careers as commercial pilots, maintenance technicians, or flight dispatchers, or to seek other aerospace jobs.

Its popular Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy youth summer camp programs are offered in 30 cities and have provided jump-starts to those pursuing professional aviation and aerospace careers. The camps encourage youth to consider aviation professions by providing them with an active and fun summer curriculum that includes hands-on learning and stimulates STEM-based concepts.

The AOPA You Can Fly Aviation High School Initiative recognizes the importance of bridging the gap in aviation youth education by building and sustaining aviation-based STEM programs in high schools in order to provide a quality workforce to the aviation industry.

One pilot who began his transition to the cockpit as an Atlanta ACE Academy camp volunteer is Delta Air Lines Capt. Marcus Neyor, the 2013 recipient of the organization's Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 Type Rating Scholarship. Neyor said his type rating scholarship allowed him to “demonstrate to Delta that my leadership, flying skills, and overall ability as a pilot were just as strong as my passion to give back to the community.”

The scholarship gave Neyor the tools he needed to interview at his “dream airline” and helped propel him into his role as a captain at Delta.

With an eye toward increasing the number of minority professionals in aviation, the organization has awarded $4.85 million in scholarships to more than 515 recipients since its founding in 1976.