EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — This year at AirVenture Oshkosh 2017, the Women Soar You Soar program granted four scholarships to young women with a strong interest in an aviation career.
Women Soar You Soar strives to engage, inspire and educate young women to pursue their dreams in aviation and beyond.
The scholarships help young females further achieve their dreams.
The Bud and Olga Calson Scholarship serves as a tribute to their granddaughter, Mina Carlson, who is a commercially rated pilot and flight engineer for the United States Air Force. This year’s winner of the $500 scholarship is Magdeline Bowers of Ottawa, Kansas. She will be attending Kansas State Polytechnic in the fall studying Airport Management and Business.
The Heather McRoberts Memorial Scholarship was established by donations to the Antique Airplane Association of Colorado and serves as a memorial tribute to Heather “Tinkerbell” McRoberts. This year’s $500 scholarship is awarded to Anna Haas of Riner, Virginia.
As she continues her tenure in high school, she remains involved in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) as a Chief Master Sergeant and is very close to soloing for the first time.
The Morgan Brittany Smith Memorial Scholarship provides a $3,000 scholarship to an attendee of the Women Soar You Soar program to help the applicant pursue higher education in an aviation/aerospace field. Lauren Jones of Cypress, Texas, is the 2017 recipient of this scholarship. She plans on attending an aviation-focused university to become an airline pilot.
Commander John Paradiso’s Scholarship for Women in Aviation/Aerospace is a memorial tribute to Paradiso, a World War II Naval Aviator. This $750 scholarship was established by his daughters, Johnnie Paradiso and Nina Clay Paradiso.
This year’s recipient is Allie Dyer of Plano, Texas. She is currently a Sergeant Major for JRROTC and a participant on the Cyber Patriot team. She plans on pursuing a career as a pilot for the Navy or United States Air Force.