Skirvin is one of nearly 250 recipients who received a 2024 scholarship from the AOPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization and the philanthropic arm of AOPA. Each year, the annual AOPA Foundation program distributes an increasing number of scholarships and this year’s awards were no different. Scholarships totaling nearly $1.6 million were distributed in 2024 to students, teachers, and those who aspire to careers in the aviation industry.
Five pilots in 2024 were the first to receive a Richard McSpadden Scholarship for Advanced Pilot Training. Named after the former leader of the AOPA Air Safety Institute and former commander and flight leader of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, this scholarship will help recipients pursue advanced ratings.
Dozens of others received awards—ranging from $250 to $14,000, for commercial and instrument training, maintenance, primary training, and more—which aim to ease the financial burden of flight training, testing, obtaining materials, and furthering their education to reach their aviation goals.
“Aviation is for everyone, but too often we see the financial burden of flight training and education a barrier for entry into our industry,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “We are proud to support this passionate group and look forward to cheering them on as they meet their aviation goals.”
Aviation is a second career for Skirvin, who calls her previous career in managing business offices for hospitals her “past life.” After taking a leap of faith and spending three years earning certificates and ratings while working at her local flight school, Skirvin was awarded the Ceci Stratford Flight Training Scholarship, Advanced, and used it to complete her certificated flight instructor training and certification.
Now she’s pursuing her flight instructor—instruments certificate and looking forward to continuing to pursue ratings, endorsem*nts, and career opportunities. “It’s a constant challenge and that’s what I need for my personal development and growth, and that’s what I found in aviation,” Skirvin said.
Her advice for others who may be interested in exploring aviation? “Make sure that you are fully prepared, it’s a lot of work, but everyone is so capable of doing this and it’s so much fun,” she said. “I think my only regret is that I didn’t start sooner.”
For more than 100 high school students and teachers, $10,000 scholarships from the AOPA Foundation You Can Fly High School initiative will be put toward primary flight training.
Chase Crouch is a recipient of one of the high school scholarships. The 17-year-old from Oregon is the first person in his family to learn how to fly and said the aviation spark started when he took his first commercial flight in 2017. “I just loved the airport environment and all the things that were happening there,” Crouch said. “At some point it sparked that flying is something I could do myself.”
Crouch gets to the airport three to four times a week, taking advantage of being off school in the summer months, and the scholarship almost entirely funds his training, covering flight hours and instructor fees.
With each lesson he feels more confident, and he looks forward to sharing the general aviation experience with his family and friends when he gets his certificate. “Being able to look outside the windows and see the environment you know from the ground up in the air is a whole different experience and one that you can’t get with commercial flying,” he said.
The 2025 AOPA Foundation scholarship program will open for applications September 9.
The You Can Fly program and the Air Safety Institute are funded by charitable donations to the AOPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. To be a part of the solution, visit www.aopafoundation.org/donate
AOPA scholarship recipients
AOPA Foundation You Can Fly High School Flight Training Scholarship
Aaron Van Camp | Addison Fitzpatrick | Aden Scheftner | Alex Goetsch | Alexander Buchanan |
Andrew Dawson | Andrew Nazeck | Ashwin Pariti | Avery Padgett | Benjamin Fetzer |
Blake Robinson | Brennan Whaylen | Brianna White | Bryan Wall | Charles Walker |
Chase Crouch | Clio Vazquez | Colton Bartow | Colton Spalding | Curran Jacobus |
Darrell DeGraffenreid | David Armstrong | Deanna May | Derin Garner | Devin Stevens |
Duncan Halderman | Dylan Garagiola | Emersen Connelly | Emily McCracken | Emmet Johnson |
Ethan Brobst | Evie Lechuga | Garrett Hicks | Gavin McLeroy | Gianna Nakhle |
Gwenevere Markey | Heather Smith | Henry Harrigan | India Vincent-Philpot | Isaac Boos |
Isaac Gallegos | Isaac Garcia | Isaac Neria | Jack Calderwood | Jackson Kemper |
Jackson Meloy | Jackson Niva | Jacob Nicolato | Jacob Williams | James Begnoche |
Jeremy Best | Jesus Pertierra | John Resetar | John Weddle | Jonathan Dupell |
Jonathan Sill | Joselyn Bruce | Joshua Berry | Joshua Frazee | Joshua Mink |
Julia Dallmann | Kayli Bergman | Kira Fiedler | Lake Pringle | Levi Brown |
Libby Russell | Lucas Huddle | Luke Eckman | Luke Heinze | Luke Larreategui |
Luke Metoki | Madelyn Bushong | Margaret Hoskins | Mason Bingham | Mason Chidlow |
Mason Enochs | Mason Owens | Matthew Cobb | Maxwell Watt | Michael Pavlik |
Mya Wallace | Natalia Suzuki de Oliveira | Nathan Kleinman | Nathaniel Crowell | Noah Thompson |
Parks Chennault | Peter Geier | Robert Zuzula | Roger Roden | Ronit Patel |
Ryan Rautenberg | Sadie Fehringer | Samuel Crabbendam | Sekoy Rice | Tristan Weeks |
Ty Watterud | William Covington | Wright Kross | Yaakov Gruza | Yusha Shahnowaz |
Zachary Schwartz |
AOPA Foundation You Can Fly Teacher Flight Training Scholarship
Brian Stafford | Chris Groenhout | Christian Gibson | Jason Stacy | Jessica Sigle |
Jonathan Schmadeke | Jonathan Thurston | Sarah Montanari |
The Bill Stroecker Commercial/Instrument Flight Training Scholarship
Jennifer Shryock | Tianna Pelton |
The Bruce W. Alatary Memorial Flight Training Scholarship
Jennifer (Ginger) Ropka |
CAA Corporate Aircraft Association Scholarships
Alexandar Vulic | Alexia Gould | Allie Kirsteatter | Alonzo Hunt Jr. | Antonio Herrmann |
Bergen Ellis | Braden Mattson | Cameron Hepler | Carson Coleman | Charles Sabel |
Christopher Alcantara | Christopher Miller | Clayton Whitefield | Clinton May | Colby Flake |
Cole Parker | Conni Wade | Daniel Forehand | Daniel Garcia-Beltran | Diego Orozco |
Dominick Cataloni | Dylan Searcy | Erick Silva | Esteban Pellot | Evan Price |
Evan Searsy | Fisher Lott | Garrett Dies | Geny Haase | German Cervantes |
Gretchen Bloom | Harley Glover | Heidi Neumann | Helen Peugh | Holden McCord |
Jackson Reed | Jackson Woodward | Jacob Tupper | Jakob Robertson | Jamie Bilkey |
Jenicca Spencer | Jevan Chavez | Joe Santiago | John Harpole | John Jackson |
Jonathan Rosas | Jordan Courtney | Jose Luis Torres | Joseph Canfield | Joshua Martin |
Joshua Proctor | Karson Dillard | Kate Burke-Rosales | Kevin Smith | Kristen Smith |
Kyle Giono | Kyle Scott | Lacey Ewers | Landon Sytsema | Lauren Adams |
Lauryn Montgomery | Leah Kirsteatter | Leo Sun | Logan Kennedy | Logan Odom |
Loren Davis | Lucas Oliveira | Luis Rodriguez | Madelyn Knowles | Marcus Van Driel |
Mason Bittner | Matthew Bruce | Michael Mickey | Michael Sandy II | Michael Taylor |
Michelle Le Floch Fernandez | Morgan Grooms | Nelson Rodriguez | Nikolajus Shukaitis | Paris Sulzer |
Parker Loughney | Peter Mackiewicz | Priscilla Conde | Raul Adalberto Olvera Perez | Ricardo Toledo |
Richard Green | Russell Holmes | Ryan Harmon | Ryan Harrington | Ryan Kear |
Saxon Bola | Seth Nichols | Seth Ramos | Tanner Bowen | Trenton O'Connor |
Tristan Macalolooy | Tyler Briggs | Tyler Hettich | Tyler Kastens | Tyler Traxler |
Victoria Arseneault | William Small | Zachary Corzo |
The Carlsbad Jet Center and Sonoma Jet Center Future of General Aviation Professional Scholarships
Gabriel Fallas | Sean Scannell |
The Ceci Stratford Flight Training Scholarship
Rachel Skirvin | Yulia Aksenova |
The Dudley D. and Dolores R. Malone Memorial Flight Training Scholarship
Dan Ndombe | Doreen Joseph | Jose Ramirez | Melissa St Preux |
The Edward B. Shafer Future Of Flight Scholarship
Cheyenne Coleman |
Erral Lea and Glenn Plymate Memorial Flight Training Scholarships
Ammaar Anjum | Daisy Li | David Waddell | Vishal Yalla | Yaima Montes de Oca |
The Fred and Diane Fitts Memorial Flight Training Scholarship, sponsored by Corporate Aircraft Association
Duncan Sagrillo | Kyra Banko | Mason Brinley |
The Lev Prichard Scholarship
Felicity Eady |
Lt. Commander Michael D. McGibney Top Gun Naval Aviator Scholarship
Ivo Saric
Perot - The AllianceTexas AOPA Scholarships
Brian Orth | Isabella Lopez | Tyson Sysavath |
Richard McSpadden Scholarship for Advanced Pilot Training
Dennis Coyne | Eric Dye | Luke Templin | Nehemiah ONeal | Nguyen Do |
The Richard R. Harper Scholarship in memory of Richard R. Harper
Brandon Valdez
Richard Santori Memorial Flight Training Scholarship
Stormy Howard
The Scott Stuart Flight Training Scholarship
Ecia Truesdale
Senator James M. Inhofe FAA Knowledge Test Scholarship
Emy Tucker