Ole & William: Wings to FLY over Alaska

Story

We are raising money for two incredible Alaskan teens to continue their dream of becoming commercial pilots.  William Peterson of Kalskag and Ole Chief of Mountain Village.  The money from this campaign is specifically for their cost of living, food, rent, and transportation while training. They have applied for many vocational scholarships, and are hoping to have the funding to continue into the next phase of flying before February 2020.Ole and William graduated high-school May 2019.  In June they passed their Alaska State drivers test, and NEXT in two short months they finished their private pilots licenses.  This accomplishment took an incredible amount of dedication and hard work.  Local non profit, Alaska EXCEL, serves rural Alaskan high school students to provide further education and career opportunities.  Alaska EXCEL provided the funding necessary to attend flight training over the summer, a spring board toward their career. Ole and William are proud to be Yupik, they are indigenous to this beautiful land they call home. William is from the Lower Kuskokwim River and Ole is from the Lower Yukon River. Like most of rural Alaska, these are fly in only communities.  Not only do these two have a deep passion for flying but they also have a big desire to give back to their villages. Rural Alaska is lacking many services, opportunities are sparse for continued education. Ole and William both want to be role models and mentors to the younger generation, showing them that they too can achieve their dreams. They both plan to work in the areas they are from, hauling freight and passengers. In rural Alaska all the groceries and mail are delivered by small airplane, people have to fly to get anywhere, that means to and from doctor appointments or visit other family members in nearby villages.Flying is a way of life in rural Alaska, however it is not possible for many to be pilots due to the high cost. Their flight training will be at least $50k each.  Our hope is to achieve their flight training through scholarship funds, we are still applying for many different opportunities.  If the fundraiser is to exceed $5k,  the additional money will go toward their instrument ratings.Being of service to others is what truly brings us joy, seeing rural Alaskan students gain confidence through achieving their goals is worth every penny. Please help Ole and William make it to the next step toward a career in aviation. By doing so you are also helping the next generation of rural Alaskans gain the confidence that they too can do what they want to do, and be who they want to be. "It is very important for me to be a role model for my community. I know that the younger kids in my village look up to me and all I have accomplished so far. Becoming a professional pilot would be a very positive example for others to make necessary sacrifices and hopefully motivate them to follow their dreams. I want to be a great example for my village. It will show my community members that you can become anything, and if you work hard you can get the necessary support and financial help."    - William "I do my best to better our community through example.  I believe completing the flight training and achieving all my certifications will better my community. My success will be an example of what can be achieved. Statistically being able to fly as a young Alaskan Native is unlikely.  However, with the proper support and mentorship I have already achieved the first step as a newly licensed Private Pilot, and am ready for the next."   - Ole