As we are drawing near the end of these amazing stories from Ray Scholars, this August edition of the Ray Scholar Stories Series, continues to highlight 7 more inspiring stories to becoming a. We hope you are enjoying these testimonies to their paths and can help spread their stories to others. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Leyla Williams
I got bored during the COVID-19 lockdown to start flying. I fell in love with flying immediately. I was applying for scholarships like a full-time job and stumbled across the Ray Scholarship program. The rest is history. I now have my private and working towards my instrument rating. Thanks to the Ray Scholarship program and the Lightspeed headset I am pursuing a future career in aviation.
Owen Baker
My name is Owen Baker, and I am a 2023 Ray Aviation Scholarship Recipient. I have over 40 hours of logged time and am currently preparing for my checkride!
I had always had an interest in airplanes and as a kid, I always dreamed about becoming a pilot. I honestly didn’t think that becoming a pilot was something I’d ever get a chance to do, that was until my first small airplane ride, I was hooked. I was introduced to EAA chapter 93, and they welcomed me and my family with open arms. Seeing the community being so tight knit made me want to be a part of it.
My greatest inspirations to be a Ray Scholar were the other Ray Scholars that came before me. It was incredible seeing how successful they became. I found it unbelievable that someone only 2 years older than me was already a CFI with hundreds of hours. It inspired me to continue training to follow their footsteps.
After completing my private pilot certificate, I plan to build hours and ratings to hopefully join the airlines at some point. I would like to eventually build my own aircraft and participate in STOL competitions. Most of all, I would like to share the experience of aviation by giving EAA Young Eagles rides. I remember my first ride and I would love to share that with others.
My advice to anyone considering applying for the Ray Aviation scholarship or pursuing a pilot’s certificate… GO FOR IT! The aviation community is an amazing group of people that all support one another. It’s hard to describe all the support and resources the aviation community has provided. Getting your private pilot’s license is no easy task, however, the results are beyond rewarding. Remember, the sky isn’t the limit, it’s just the beginning.
Cameron Ney
Growing up, I was always interested in becoming a pilot because my father is a pilot. With that being said, he inspired me to apply for the Ray Scholarship because I always not just enjoyed flying with my father, but also all of the other fun things that go along with aviation, like hanging out at the airport, traveling, and working on the project plane (Aeronca Champ) with a group from our EAA Chapter. If I were to give anyone advice who is interested in following my footsteps is that you can do anything you set your mind to so never give up.
Luke Templin
My initial interest in becoming a pilot came from my lifelong fascination with airplanes and positive experiences going to the airport whenever my family would go on vacation. I did not know much about the aviation community until I joined an aviation class in my junior year of high school and started to learn what it means to become a pilot and what you need to know. It was also through this program that I was able to meet local pilots and past students who had gone on to become professional pilots and came back to help with the class. It was actually a past student who had told me about the Ray scholarship because they knew I wanted to get my private pilot license and was thinking about going on to become a pilot as my career. After just recently finishing my training and obtaining my private pilot license, I am very grateful for all the support from the EAA, the pilots in my community, and Lightspeed for providing me with an amazing headset for my training. I plan to continue flight training to one day become an airline pilot, and I am very grateful and happy to be in such a supportive community surrounded by wonderful people. If I could give advice to someone following in my footsteps, it would be to reach out and try to get involved in the aviation community and make connections with people who share similar passions. On top of that if you want to start training look for scholarship opportunities and find your nearest EAA chapter to get involved in.
Andy Klein
My pilot journey started years ago when I was an elementary student visiting the Discovery Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have a full motion Cessna 172 simulator that would line you up on a 5-mile final, and you would try to manage your power to make a successful landing. After my first attempt, I was instantly hooked. My grandma tells me that I rode that sim over and over again for hours, while all my cousins visited other exhibits. Up until high school, I would still visit that museum regularly to fly the sim, until I eventually bought my own home simulator equipment.
My CFI(s) and flight school owner have had a huge impact on my pilot success and aided me in the ability to apply for the Ray Scholarship. I initially applied in 2021, but unfortunately, I didn’t make the cut. My flight school owner was beyond generous to offer me a line staff job at the airport which untimely allowed me to fly in the meantime, as well as network with more people in the scholarship fund. I reapplied in 2022 with more training under my belt and I had much better luck, receiving a generous amount of funds so I could finish my training before I go off to college. One of my life goals is to pay back my scholarship, and to provide continuous donations for generations to come.
After passing my checkride in April 2023, I am now ready to tackle my next flight ratings. I will be attending Western Michigan University, to pursue a degree in Aviation Flight Science, with a double major in finance. I couldn’t be more excited for this next step in my pilot career, as I navigate my way to become an airline pilot. I have networked with so many pilots at many different airlines and am hoping to join a pathway program next fall.
For any aviation enthusiasts wanting to become pilots, studying and getting in the books is the most important aspect of flight training. Being a good stick and rudder pilot comes with practice and discipline in the practice area, but the knowledge of how things work can’t be overlooked. And as long as you show up with a smile on your face, I’m sure you’ll be just fine! To the Ray Scholarship Program and Lightspeed, I want to extend the greatest thank you for all you have done for me as a pilot, and the other scholarship recipients. You run a program that is 2nd to none, and I am grateful for every opportunity this scholarship has given me. If either Lightspeed or the Ray scholarship fund could use any ambassador help (i.e. testing new products, conducting research, community outreach, etc.) I am more than happy to give you any assistance you may need. And lastly, thank you for providing me with this opportunity to share my aviation story.
Auston Froid
I was interested in becoming a pilot because I love the thrill of learning new skills and aviation has always been interesting to me. I wanted to be able to have that freedom that you just can’t get on the ground. I was inspired to apply to be a Ray Scholar from a variety of members in my local chapter. I was told that the Ray Scholarship is a great program and, in my experience, has lived up to the reputation. I have completed my training and now I am enjoying the perks of being a private pilot. I hope to be able to get my instrument rating as soon as I have the funds and time. Until then, I plan on getting my complex and high-performance endorsement as well as flying in as many different planes as I can! The best advice that I can give is to search far and wide for as many scholarships as possible and make sure to have fun while you are training. Being a pilot should be a safe as well as fun task. Take a moment to look around and enjoy the experience.
James Glazewski
I became interested in becoming a pilot after taking a Young Eagles flight in a Piper Pacer while I was in middle school. The pilot let me take the controls and I realized it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. My EAA chapter initially inspired me to apply for a scholarship. I was a member of them through their partner organization, aviation explorer post 218. I attended the chapter’s summer stem program where I started my flight training (about 5 hours), and they announced my scholarship at the end of the 2 weeklong program. I got the contact information for the instructor I had and went with him to get my private pilot certificate from August 2019 to August 2020. I currently am a student at the University of Dubuque with my instrument rating and I have been signed off for commercial (just waiting on the checkride). I also have my complex and rent a Mooney back home in which I have about 50 hours. So far, my total time is 351.9 which means I’m over 1/3 of the way to my goal of the restricted ATP. My end goal is to be a captain flying wide body jets across the ocean and to build an experimental for myself and personal flying, staying involved in general aviation. For any new pilots out there, I would recommend finding a good mentor. That ideally would be your CFI, somebody at your chapter, or just any fellow pilot. Having someone behind you just seems to make everything easier.
Congratulations to all of these pilots and Blue Skies!
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