I recently applied for an aviation scholarship called the Neil Armstrong Scholarship. The scholarship is run by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) and is in memory of Neil Armstrong (not the astronaut). Every year they award three different prizes to three individuals who have a passion to pursue aviation in Canada. The amounts vary, but I think the highest is $7,000 and the lowest is $2,000. I’m not eligible for the top amount, which is an ab-initio prize, because I’m already well into my training. Either way, a few thousand would definitely help out my financial situation.
I had to write them a 500 word essay on why I deserved the scholarship and had to have two letters of recommendation which talked about my aviation and community pursuits. I realize that if you’ve read any of my posts before, you probably don’t know much about my personal life or why I got into aviation, so this might shed a little light. Enjoy.
—————
I remember my first plane ride when I was about four years old; we departed Toronto (CYYZ) to Boston (KBOS) to visit my uncle, aunt, and cousins. Naturally, being a demanding four year-old, I wouldn’t accept anything but the window seat because I had to see what it was like to fly. I like to think that my earliest childhood memory is of being sucked to the back of the seat in that DC-9, and from that point on, I knew what I wanted to do in life.
I should start by explaining my current situation as it pertains to my flight training and experience in the cockpit. As you now know, I have always yearned for a career in aviation. I finally started working towards my goal when I was 14 and began taking ground school lessons at a flight school at my local airport. I worked tediously for an advertising company delivering flyers so I could save enough money to pay the $200 for the course. I was by far the youngest person in those classrooms by at least five years, but I wasn’t intimidated; it merely confirmed my passion for aviation and my commitment to someday start my flight training.
I signed up for Air Cadets in grade nine and became a member of 27th Squadron RCAC for a year and a half. I later moved to St. Catharines for three years of high school at a private school named Ridley College. I attended Ridley on a full bursary and with almost no free time outside of school, sports, and extra-curriculars, I wouldn’t have time to dedicate myself fully to flight training. Beginning in the summer of 2005, I worked full time for three summers and saved every penny I earned. By the time I had finished my first year of university, I was an Ontario Scholar and graduated with Honours in 2006 from Ridley College and finally had enough money in the bank to take off.
In September of 2007, my dream began as I started my flight training at the London airport. I trained on weekends and attended classes during the week as a full time student. I am currently nearing the end of my Private License training and am in my third year of study at the University of Western Ontario. After I take the flight test, I plan on furthering my training with a Commercial License, a Multi/IFR Rating, and hope to instruct after that.
So why do I think I deserve the Neil Armstrong Scholarship? The answer is simple: I am the most passionate flying nut I have ever known. This is something I have wanted my entire life and it is something I will never stop pursuing – scholarship or not. My family has not been able to contribute vast amounts of money to fund my training, so I work as hard as I can and save as much as I can to make sure I can keep flying. On top of being a full time student who pays for textbooks, rent, utilities, and food, I work two jobs and have almost no free time to do anything else. I go to class, then to work, and then to class again, only to do the same thing again the next day. I do it because I never want to give up something I love.
In pursing my ultimate goal to the Commercial level, there is no question that my financial burden will only become more arduous. I will always work as hard as I can to ensure my fiscal stability, but the Neil Armstrong Scholarship would be a very welcome contribution. Whether I am a recipient of this scholarship, or not, I would like to thank the contributors for furthering aviation in Canada and giving young people like me the opportunity to realize their dreams as pilots.
—————
Recent Comments