Tivy High School Air Force Junior ROTC Cadets Lee McDonald and Jonathan Halpin have received scholarships to attend an accredited aviation university participating in a private pilot license training program this summer.
McDonald and Halpin, both seniors at Tivy, are two of 230 Air Force Junior ROTC cadets around the world to receive the scholarship from Headquarters Air Force Junior ROTC, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama. The scholarship covers transportation, room and board, academics and flight hours required to potentially earn a private pilot license. These scholarships are valued at approximately $22,500 each.
"AFJROTC Flight Academy selection is very competitive, only 230 out of 1,340 of the best AFJROTC cadets were selected. All of us can be very proud that we had two cadets selected this year. This puts Lee and Jonathan them on a very positive track to a flying career in the Air Force,” said Col. Bobby Woods, head AFJROTC Commander.
"Lee and Jonathan have been working for several years to prepare for this opportunity. We are very proud of them and their hard work that helped secure their selection. Both are incredible young men, and I am confident they have bright aviation futures in front of them."
The Cadets will find out which college they will head to for the program soon, and are excited about this opportunity.
“I’m really looking forward to working together with other cadets and getting through this program together,” McDonald said. “I’m really excited to get up there and start flying patterns with the boys.”
“I’m super excited,” Halpin said. “I’m excited to get up in the sky and fly.”
The Flight Academy Scholarship Program is an Air Force-level initiative in collaboration with the commercial aviation industry to address the national civilian and military pilot shortage. The Flight Academy allows aspiring young aviators to get their Private Pilot’s Certification, at no cost, during an eight-week summer course at partner universities. This incurs no military commitment while providing a college transcript. Those who participate in the program do not incur a military commitment to the Air Force or other branch of service, nor does completing the program guarantee acceptance into one of the military’s commissioning programs.
The mission of Air Force Junior ROTC is to “develop citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community,” while instilling values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and sense of accomplishment.
Tivy High School AFJROTC Cadets Lee McDonald, left, and Jonathan Halpin, right, both received a scholarship to the Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy. The two seniors will spend 8 weeks at a college campus working towards their private pilot license this summer.