In this May publication of the Ray Scholar Stories Series, we focus on another 7 young pilots’ journeys to becoming the pilot they have always dreamed of. 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.
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 ultimately 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!
I want to extend the greatest thank you for all EAA and Lightspeed 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.
Austin 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 week long 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.
Kian Gackle
From my earliest memories, I have been mesmerized by and infatuated with all things aviation. It all started when I was just a little kid and exposed to all kinds of airplanes and jets because of my dad‘s military service. As a 32-year veteran of the Marine Corps, he picked just the right time to get assigned to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola. I would often go on base with my dad to visit the Naval aviation museum, and then watch the Blue Angels practice. I watch them do unimaginable maneuvers during their summer show at Pensacola Beach. Later I got to hear the sound of freedom nearly every day when we lived on the base at Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan. We watched aircraft takeoff and land, went to annual airshows and I even got to fly to Okinawa Anna Marie KC 130. As a young kid as my parents needed me to be entertained, they set me in front of the television with an F/A-18 promotional video on continuous loop; I always imagined I was the one flying.
The Ray Aviation Scholarship is a big deal. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve had aspirations of becoming a career pilot. Before receiving the scholarship, I was working two jobs, and taking as many shifts as I could to ensure this dream got off the ground. In other words, I had the determination to become a pilot, but not the money. I was told at my local airport by my instructor about this scholarship and immediately applied. The scholarship accelerated the timeline to earning my private pilot’s license and brought me assurance that I can achieve my goals. My first flight was April 3rd, 2022; first solo was June 27th, 2022. I received my private pilot certificate on October 4th, 2022. I was also lucky enough to receive a headset for flying, a very gracious gift from Lightspeed to help me along the way.
Because of this scholarship I was able to focus on flying and studying, instead of working double shifts and worrying if I’ll have money for my next flight. The scholarship has also been a huge deal because it facilitated connections and a network of mentors I would have otherwise never known. I am a firm believer that the people I’ve met through the journey of this scholarship award will have a major impact in my life, and in steering me on a path that ensures my future success in an aviation career.
Since being awarded the scholarship, I have contributed many hours volunteering for EAA. The volunteer opportunities have also opened up new doors that will further enable me to become a great ambassador for EAA and the aviation profession.
I am so grateful to the Ray Foundation and what it represents. I’ve benefited through the funds it provides and the relationships it has helped to foster. But perhaps most significantly, through the scholarship award process and my pilot training progression, I’ve developed the confidence, self-discipline, and personal responsibility to make it in this huge world of aviation.
Amy Whelan
My interest in being a pilot comes from going to airshows as a kid. I would be watching these big military transport jets and think that’s cool. I wonder what it takes to do that job. I also saw the lack of females in the industry and wanted to help with the change of that.
My family were the ones that inspired me to apply to be a Ray Scholar. I had gone to AirVenture in 2019 right when EAA had released the information about the program, and I remember spending multiple days in the blue barn trying to gather all the information I could about the program, so I presented it to my chapter when I went back home.
I completed my Private Pilot Training in 2020. After that I attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach and studied Aeronautical Science with a minor in Airline Operations. I graduated with honors in May of 2023 with my Commercial SEL, MEL, CFI and CFII. My next plans are to utilize my CFI and CFII and teach to gain hours and experience for the airlines.
For anyone looking into aviation as a career path do your research and gather all the information you can before starting. Learn about different flight programs, the costs at places, the syllabus they use, and the time it’ll take. Everyone’s experience is different and never compare yours to another person’s. Remember that you are paying for this service of flight training, so you don’t like the quality change whether it be an instructor change or switching flight schools.
Stay tuned for more stories from these determined pilots. We have collected many more months’ worth of stories that we will share over the near future. Congratulations to all of these pilots and Blue Skies!
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