In this June publication of the Ray Scholar Stories Series, we highlight 6 more inspiring stories to becoming a pilot from a group of Ray Scholars. 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.
Heidi Schimnich

Our neighbor owns a private grass strip, and I would often see (and hear the roaring engines) take off from the field. He took me up for a ride in his airplane, my first time flying, when I was 7 years old. I loved it! It wasn’t until I was older that I decided that I wanted to be a pilot.
My brother, Joey, serves as my inspiration and mentor in my aviation journey. He is also a pilot and was my flight instructor throughout all of my training so far. I spent many hours helping him restore our family’s 1969 Cessna 150 and learned a lot in the process.
I thought after earning my private pilot certificate that I would stop there, but after walking out of a successful check ride I thought to myself, “This is it?! I want to learn more!” I am currently a Commercial pilot with an instrument rating. My goal is to become a certified flight instructor.
Whenever you hit a rough spot in training, remember the reason why you started. Maybe it was the person who inspired you, the feeling you experienced when you took your first flight, or the glorious view from above. Let it motivate and inspire you to keep learning and share the joy of aviation!
Benjamin Ertle
What interested me in becoming a pilot was the environment surrounding the world of aviation. I eventually grew to love flying and being in the air, which is what kept me pursuing aviation. But the kindness pilots showed me and the dedication and passion they had for their work is what initially drew me into this lifestyle.
I have my Ground School teacher and parents to thank for inspiring me to apply for a Ray scholarship. Both my teacher and parents saw my interest to succeed in aviation and informed me of organizations out there that help people like me pursue their dreams by aiding with the financial burden of flight training costs. This eventually led to me researching organizations out there and applying to ones I found on my own and that our school provided access to.
My plans after I complete my training and licensing are to continue building hours whether that be as a CFI or for a regional airline, and then move on to corporate aviation where I hope to build a career. My dream would be to fly for Amway Aviation or Otter Air, both companies based out of my hometown airport.
Some advice I could give someone who is interested in following in my footsteps is to just remember why you started. You will have to make time and activity sacrifices to have the time needed to study and training will get difficult at times, but as long as you can remember why you started and hold onto that goal you will be able to push through. Hard work goes a long way in the world of aviation. Every pilot has gone through the same steps as you and they remember what it was like so don’t be afraid to ask for help either.
Ethan Hamilton
In May of 2022, I was chosen to be the recipient of the Ray Aviation Scholarship, and what a wild journey it has been! I got my PPL in October of 2022, and I am currently working on my Instrument rating and glider ratings, with the intention of eventually getting to the airlines. I cannot thank Lightspeed enough for the Zulu 3 headset that was so graciously given to me, and it has been an immense help in my aviation journey.
Arjun Bachmann
I have always been fascinated by everything about aviation, and the more I learn the more I want to be a commercial pilot. Throughout my life, I have been lucky enough to have many opportunities to fly as a passenger. As a young kid, I remember wondering how such a large metal tube could possibly fly.
I talked to pilots whenever possible, and also researched airplanes. As I started to understand more about the mechanics of flight, I wanted more and more to be a part of this wonderful world. Ever since I joined EAA chapter 517 I have been surrounded by encouraging pilots and awe-inspiring aviation enthusiasts. They suggested that I take a look at the Ray scholarship. I did, and it looked like a phenomenal opportunity. I spoke to our chapter’s Young Eagle coordinator, who helped me get started with the application process. He said that being a Ray Scholar would be the perfect opportunity for me. After I was awarded the scholarship, he helped tutor me for my FAA written exam! I’m so grateful for his help throughout the entire process.
After I complete my training, I’m going to enjoy my license. I will take scenic flights around my local airport and eventually take friends and family up! In the fall I’ll be applying to aviation colleges such as UND and Embry-Riddle. There I hope to advance my flight training, in order to obtain my commercial pilot’s license and eventually an ATP type rating. That has been my dream since I was six and I’m determined to make it come true.
The Ray Aviation Scholarship Fund is amazing. I don’t have enough good things to say about it. It not only provides the funding required to obtain a PPL, but also provides community and support from other aviation enthusiasts. I like that there is a time frame in which you must obtain the license. This ensures that you keep up with your studying in a timely manner. If there wasn’t a time frame, it would be easy to procrastinate with regard to the necessary studying. I would suggest that students wait until their senior year of high school to begin their flight training through the scholarship. I did it during my junior year, which was overwhelming.
Logan Cohara
Hi, my name is Logan Cohara, I am a 2022 Ray Scholar recipient. The wonderful folks at Lightspeed requested to hear my story and I would be very glad and honored to share it. I will be a little cliche and start from the very beginning.
Back when I was 7 years old, I attended my first air show at Burke Lakefront in Cleveland. I remember that when I was looking through the planes and when I saw the cockpit, I thought to myself I could never understand what all of that meant. It was just so much, and I was one person. But not soon after the Blue Angels took off for their performance and to say I was hooked is an understatement. Here I am, almost 14 years later, still in love with aviation. It’s crazy to think that, that one moment changed my life forever.
We can then fast forward 7 years to when I was 14 years old. I had gone to the piston power show and fate had it that there was a trailer there run by a flight club out of Lorain County. The trailer had a flight sim inside and me being a really excited kid wanted to try it out. A gentleman by the name of Michael Guenthner from EAA chapter 846 took me under his wing and let me fly the plane, saying that I was one of the “best” he had seen that day. He had told me to come out to a Young Eagles event later that month and we could go up on a real flight. So I did and he allowed me to sit left seat and fly the plane nearly the whole time, which really solidified my love for what I wanted to do. This is how I found out about the Ray Scholarship and what eventually led to me applying and receiving the scholarship which I’m still very grateful for. His kindest, and willingness to inspire kids really showed and made me want to do the same.
I plan on flying for Young Eagles events once I receive my license. I would like to put a special mention here too for someone who has helped me significantly through my scholarship. Another Ray Scholar named Abby Donofrio. Abby and I met when I received my scholarship, and she became a great resource throughout my training. More towards the latter half we became closer friends, and I started going through a really tough stage. I lost my motivation and my drive for aviation due to a variety of factors, but she was there and helped pull me out of my hole and gave me my spark back, which I will forever thank her for. She is still an amazing friend and pilot and is also helping mentor and coach the next Ray Scholar of our chapter, she also just recently her first Young Eagles flight carrying a passenger. She has been a huge help to me and many others, I wouldn’t have continued without her.
Moving on, after I finished my private pilot’s license, I plan on immediately going into my instrument rating to continue my pursuit of becoming an airline pilot for either United or Delta, with the long term goal of becoming a captain on wide body long-haul jets. I’ve considered corporate flying too, so maybe I’ll do that for a little bit before I join the airlines. Now with that being said that’s my story, at least as of right now. If I were to give any advice to any future ray scholars or other aspiring aviators working towards their PPL, I would say that there may be times where it’s a lot and it’ll seem extremely difficult, but just keep your head up. It’s okay to ask questions and ask for help. When it comes to the written, just study hard and do lots of practice tests. The more you do, the better prepared you’ll be. A lot of your private pilots are studying at home, maybe just as much as flying the plane. That’s what I took out of it at least. If you truly love what you are doing, it’ll all be worth it in the end. Thank you for reading my story.
Emilee White
The science that I love so much is fight science. Aviation has always been something I’ve loved from the first time I flew in an airplane. I can’t wait to see how far I will go with flying. I have so many great memories and stories that have made me love aviation the way I do now. That feeling I get when I’m up in the air, it’s like no other. I can’t explain how free I feel when I’m in the air. I remember the first time I felt that feeling. It was a beautiful day, perfect for flying. When we went up in the air, I instantly felt that feeling of freedom and knew I’d want to fly for the rest of my life.
I decided to start flight training two years ago and it was a fantastic decision. The first time I was in control of the plane, I loved it and couldn’t get enough. I lose track of time, and that is the best feeling. I’ve learned so much in the time I’ve spent on the plane. I can’t wait to learn even more. When my flights end, I feel like it’s never enough. I look at the plane and think “Why can’t I still be flying?” I get so excited every time I take off and land, especially when I do it without my instructor.
In February I graduated from a ground school class at Plainwell Aviation and STEM Academy. Even though I’m not in the class I volunteer at Young Eagle events with the students there. I also try to fly at least twice a week. I currently have 75.5 hours in my logbook. On January 4th this year, I did my First Solo at Padgham Field Airport. I loved it so much, the feeling of not needing anyone else in the airplane with you to fly is a wondrous feeling. It is my favorite memory of all time, and I will cherish it forever. I can’t wait until the weather is good enough to solo again. On February 25th I took the private pilots written exam and passed, which put me one step closer to following my dreams. I have my check ride coming up soon, I recently had to reschedule it due to weather and it will hopefully be in the next few weeks.
During my first few months of training, I got a $3,000 scholarship through the 99’s. That scholarship changed my training a lot. It made it possible for me to fly more often. This past December I received the Ray Aviation scholarship. My ground school instructor told me about the scholarship, she has helped me with a lot of other things during my flight training and in life. With this scholarship I became an EAA Ray scholar. The EAA scholarship will pay for the rest of my flight training for my Private Pilot’s License which I will finish up in the next month. The scholarship has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.
During junior year of high school, I was accepted into an aviation class at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. It was an incredible experience as well. My favorite memory of that class was learning how to rivet. I learned a lot in that class besides riveting and it taught me a lot of things that I needed to know for what I will need to do in the future. This class was such a great experience that I would recommend it to anyone interested in an aviation career.
Through my High School I was enrolled at Kellogg Community College. I’ve taken an Intro to Aviation, and Intro to Airframes and Systems, Intro to Aircraft Powerplants, and Aerodynamics and Performance. I’ve really enjoyed these classes and can’t wait to take more this fall!
This past February I got accepted into Western’s Flight Science program and I will be going there in the fall. I plan on continuing my flight training at Western to follow my dream of becoming an airline pilot. I can’t wait to see how far this next journey will take me.
Everyone I know hears about my love for flight science and they share it with the people around them. I talk with everyone that I can about my love for flight science. I share my passion with many of my fellow classmates and I encourage them to do flight training along with me. If I see them struggling during class I walk over and ask them what they need help with. I do my best to show them that it is possible to have a flight science career and follow their dreams.
Some advice I would give to someone interested in this career is to follow your dreams and share your passion with others. One of the big things that has helped me through my flight training was the scholarships that I got, and if you want to do this type of career, I would suggest applying for as many as possible.
Congratulations to all of these pilots and Blue Skies!
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