Anna-Marie Shurden Scholarship
Donation protected
I started this gofundme at the suggestion of a friend in aviation. This last winter I decided to give back and so I created a scholarship to help a student who was enrolled in the Aviation Maintenance program at Lane Community College in Eugene Oregon. I decided to name this scholarship in honor of a fellow alumni Anna-Marie Shurden. I saw the many positive changes that Anna_Marie made in her life and how hard she worked to ensure that she not only succeeded in school, but that she would succeed in finding work in the aviation industry. I consider her a great friend and so named the scholarship the "Anna-Marie Shurden Scholarship for Positive Change.
The original plan was to give away a $500 scholarship to pay for the FAA written exams of one student but once I told Anna-Marie and also my friend Kyle Bushman (Owner of the Ragwood Refactory) about it they each decided to pitch in some of their hard earned money. With that I decided to create not one, but two $500 scholarships to give away.
I have been in to speak with the students of the A&P program at LCC several times and I enjoy getting to meet them and see their progress. I told them about the scholarship and what they had to do to qualify for it. The requirements are simple: Unofficial transcript copy of the student's current G.P.A. and an essay telling me about their story and how the scholarship would help them. Pretty simple. Upon receipt of the applications I spoke with their instructor about each student to aid in determining which were the most deserving.
The first student I chose to award the 2018 scholarship to is a young lady named Sarah McPherson. She is an incredible young lady from Germany who's English is impeccable and who has worked very hard toward getting her A&P. The second student is a young man named Alexander Pendergast. He takes this program very seriously and has worked hard to overcome obstacles that were in his way and is looking forward to working in the industry.
For the 2019 Scholarship my plan is to raise enough money to pay for both the Written FAA exams as well as the Oral and Practical exams for one deserving student. Taking these tests at the end of a two year college journey are a very expensive prospect and can potentially stop some people from completing the program. I want to ensure that those who have the heart and the desire to make it can actually get there. My goal for this gofundme is $1500 That should cover the costs of the testing center that administers the written exams charges, as well as the fees that the Designated Mechanics Examiner charges to administer the Oral and Practical exams. It might be enough to cover the gas money needed to travel to the examiners base of operations. (Students usually have to travel long distances, sometimes hundreds of miles to take their mechanics O&P's)
Honestly I hope that I raise a lot more than $1500. If I fall short, however, I plan on covering the rest. One student will be earning this scholarship, guaranteed.
You may or may not remember my previous gofund me where I raised enough money to take some kids to Disneyland back in November. I paid for myself as well as my daughter and her friend, but with the generous donations of a lot of kind people I was able to raise over $1800 to take along the sisters of my daughter's friend. If you go and read up on that campaign in my profile you can see how deserving they were. It was quite a trip.
I entered the world of aviation at the age of 32. I was a high school dropout that had to overcome a lot of trials in my life. I had never considered aviation as a young man because I thought it was only for rich people, not for average joes like myself. Along my college journey I had countless people help to ensure my success through the program. I couldn't have made it without the help of others. I was awarded several scholarships and they made a huge difference in my success. College, and especially Aviation Maintenance, is a very time consuming and expensive prospect. It takes a lot of dedication and time to complete. I feel that giving these scholarships is a great way to give back and to invest in the future of the industry that I am passionate about.
Nobody builds a plane by themselves. Everybody should have a wingman. Won't you join me in helping to ensure the future of Aviation Maintenance?
Thank you friends.
The original plan was to give away a $500 scholarship to pay for the FAA written exams of one student but once I told Anna-Marie and also my friend Kyle Bushman (Owner of the Ragwood Refactory) about it they each decided to pitch in some of their hard earned money. With that I decided to create not one, but two $500 scholarships to give away.
I have been in to speak with the students of the A&P program at LCC several times and I enjoy getting to meet them and see their progress. I told them about the scholarship and what they had to do to qualify for it. The requirements are simple: Unofficial transcript copy of the student's current G.P.A. and an essay telling me about their story and how the scholarship would help them. Pretty simple. Upon receipt of the applications I spoke with their instructor about each student to aid in determining which were the most deserving.
The first student I chose to award the 2018 scholarship to is a young lady named Sarah McPherson. She is an incredible young lady from Germany who's English is impeccable and who has worked very hard toward getting her A&P. The second student is a young man named Alexander Pendergast. He takes this program very seriously and has worked hard to overcome obstacles that were in his way and is looking forward to working in the industry.
For the 2019 Scholarship my plan is to raise enough money to pay for both the Written FAA exams as well as the Oral and Practical exams for one deserving student. Taking these tests at the end of a two year college journey are a very expensive prospect and can potentially stop some people from completing the program. I want to ensure that those who have the heart and the desire to make it can actually get there. My goal for this gofundme is $1500 That should cover the costs of the testing center that administers the written exams charges, as well as the fees that the Designated Mechanics Examiner charges to administer the Oral and Practical exams. It might be enough to cover the gas money needed to travel to the examiners base of operations. (Students usually have to travel long distances, sometimes hundreds of miles to take their mechanics O&P's)
Honestly I hope that I raise a lot more than $1500. If I fall short, however, I plan on covering the rest. One student will be earning this scholarship, guaranteed.
You may or may not remember my previous gofund me where I raised enough money to take some kids to Disneyland back in November. I paid for myself as well as my daughter and her friend, but with the generous donations of a lot of kind people I was able to raise over $1800 to take along the sisters of my daughter's friend. If you go and read up on that campaign in my profile you can see how deserving they were. It was quite a trip.
I entered the world of aviation at the age of 32. I was a high school dropout that had to overcome a lot of trials in my life. I had never considered aviation as a young man because I thought it was only for rich people, not for average joes like myself. Along my college journey I had countless people help to ensure my success through the program. I couldn't have made it without the help of others. I was awarded several scholarships and they made a huge difference in my success. College, and especially Aviation Maintenance, is a very time consuming and expensive prospect. It takes a lot of dedication and time to complete. I feel that giving these scholarships is a great way to give back and to invest in the future of the industry that I am passionate about.
Nobody builds a plane by themselves. Everybody should have a wingman. Won't you join me in helping to ensure the future of Aviation Maintenance?
Thank you friends.
Organizer
Joshua Knowlton
Organizer
Springfield, OR
