I am a first generation college student and I currently attend Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, studying aeronautical science, pursing my dreams of becoming a pilot. I am from the mountains of Colorado and love being outside, I am also a hockey player. Neither of my parents went to college as I am the first one in my family to go this route. This scholarship would help tremendously as my tuition is very high and I have struggled to stay on top of. My parents have given me very little money, as I am on my own, trying to pay for tuition myself. I have worked 60-70 hour weeks throughout the summer trying to save up and even that does not cut it. My plans for the future, like I said is to be a pilot, and my lifelong goal is to fly corporate jets. Flight school is very expensive and I have been paying for it all myself since last march, making flight school and tuition near impossible to pay for without going into debt. If I can get this scholarship, I would be thrilled and beyond grateful as I am trying to make my parents proud and be the first in my family to pursue a college degree, specifically a bachelor’s degree. One of the biggest obstacles I have faced and overcame was leaving my parents when I was 15 years old to move to a better school and play a higher level of hockey. It was incredibly difficult learning to fit in, make friends, and make a name for myself. In the three years I spent away from my parents before college, I learned numerous lessons of how to live independently, how to help others succeed, and learned who I was as an individual. Looking back at making the decision to leave home so young, it was the best decision I ever made. I developed maturity and character much quicker than anyone else I know because I chose to put myself through a challenge. My parents come from a low income background, and especially in todays world, everything costs an arm and a leg. My family has been in a financial struggle since Covid as both my parents own a small family ran business. The government has done nothing to help and it has been an uphill battle ever since. That is why I am applying for scholarships, doing the best I can to get myself through education, than in 10 years, I can pay it back to my parents and help them retire. My whole life, I have wanted to be a pilot, and I began the journey 6 months ago, but after realizing how hard it will be, I can not do it alone. I need all the help I can get from others and that is exactly why I am doing what I am doing.

I am a first generation college student and I currently attend Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, studying aeronautical science, pursing my dreams of becoming a pilot. I am from the mountains of Colorado and love being outside, I am also a hockey player. Neither of my parents went to college as I am the first one in my family to go this route. This scholarship would help tremendously as my tuition is very high and I have struggled to stay on top of. My parents have given me very little money, as I am on my own, trying to pay for tuition myself. I have worked 60-70 hour weeks throughout the summer trying to save up and even that does not cut it. My plans for the future, like I said is to be a pilot, and my lifelong goal is to fly corporate jets. Flight school is very expensive and I have been paying for it all myself since last march, making flight school and tuition near impossible to pay for without going into debt. If I can get this scholarship, I would be thrilled and beyond grateful as I am trying to make my parents proud and be the first in my family to pursue a college degree, specifically a bachelor’s degree. One of the biggest obstacles I have faced and overcame was leaving my parents when I was 15 years old to move to a better school and play a higher level of hockey. It was incredibly difficult learning to fit in, make friends, and make a name for myself. In the three years I spent away from my parents before college, I learned numerous lessons of how to live independently, how to help others succeed, and learned who I was as an individual. Looking back at making the decision to leave home so young, it was the best decision I ever made. I developed maturity and character much quicker than anyone else I know because I chose to put myself through a challenge. My parents come from a low income background, and especially in todays world, everything costs an arm and a leg. My family has been in a financial struggle since Covid as both my parents own a small family ran business. The government has done nothing to help and it has been an uphill battle ever since. That is why I am applying for scholarships, doing the best I can to get myself through education, than in 10 years, I can pay it back to my parents and help them retire. My whole life, I have wanted to be a pilot, and I began the journey 6 months ago, but after realizing how hard it will be, I can not do it alone. I need all the help I can get from others and that is exactly why I am doing what I am doing.

I am a first generation college student and I currently attend Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, studying aeronautical science, pursing my dreams of becoming a pilot. Neither of my parents went to college as I am the first one in my family to go this route. This scholarship would help tremendously as my tuition is very high and I have struggled to stay on top of. My parents have given me very little money, as I am on my own trying to pay for tuition myself. I have worked 60-70 hour weeks throughout the summer trying to save up. My plans for the future, like I said is to be a pilot, and my lifelong goal is to fly corporate jets. My school is very expensive and I have been paying for it all myself since last march, making flight school and tuition near impossible to pay for without going into debt. If I can get this scholarship, I would be thrilled and beyond grateful as I am trying to make my parents proud and be the first in my family to pursue I college degree, specially a bachelor’s degree. I have a unique high school background as I left my parents when I was 15 years old to move to a better school and play a higher level of hockey. In the three years I spent away from my parents before college, I learned numerous lessons of how to live independently, how to help others succeed, and learned who I was as an individual. My parents come from a low income background, and especially in todays world, everything costs an arm and a leg. I have applied to FAFSA, but got pretty much nothing in return. My family has been in a financial struggle since Covid as both my parents own a small family run business. The government has done nothing to help and it has been an uphill battle ever since. That is why I am applying for scholarships, doing the best I can to get myself through education, than in 10 years, I can pay it back to my parents and help them retire. My whole life, I have wanted to be a pilot, and I began the journey 6 months ago, but after realizing how hard it will be, I can not do it alone. I need all the help I can get from others and that is exactly why I am doing what I am doing.

Ever since I was little, I developed a passion for aviation, and always dreamt about becoming a pilot someday. Through high school, I have taken into consideration that I want to fulfill that dream and make it a reality. After applying and getting accepted into Embry Riddle, I realized that I wanted to spend the next four years of my life learning and working to become a corporate pilot. Last summer, I got a glimpse of what it is like to work in a corporate aviation career, and I was immediately hooked. My goals for a business aviation career would be to eventually fly left seat for a very important businessman or company. My dream jet to fly would be a Gulfstream or Dassault Falcon while I have also had thoughts about starting my own business as a corporate aviation service for consumers. With my passion of traveling the world and exploring new opportunities, I have decided to pour my heart into this career. With my work ethic and desire, I am eager to go great lengths. I have always been inspired by aviation as I have held it in my heart since I was a kid. A man my father works for, his pilots were a huge inspiration of mine and why I want to pursue a degree in aviation. In three years of high school, I have completed 160 hours of community service. I have involved myself in a range of different opportunities to give back to the community. I have been so thankful for these experiences and have not only learned how I can be of help, but have created life long connections and friendships. I have been involved with my community through service at Samuels Elementary School, Rosie’s Ranch, Praying Hands Ranch, Open Arms Food Bank, Goodwill Industries, and Children’s Hospital. Coming from a low income family, a scholarship would help tremendously. My whole life, I have shared a passion for aviation and the mechanics and physics that come with it. Now that the time has come, I want to succeed in my goal of becoming a pilot, and do something I love. My parents are not giving me any money for college, so I have worked independently to earn money and scholarships to fund my education and overall college experience. To whom it may concern, I will show and prove through my work ethic in the classroom and wherever else it may take me, that a scholarship will mean the world to me, help me succeed in my academic goals, and push myself to excel above and beyond the standard expectations.