EAA Chapter 179 awarded over $130,000 in scholarships to 53 recipients from 2017 through 2024, including Chapter 179 Scholarships, Air Academy tuition, and Ray Scholarships. For more information about these scholarships, return to Scholarships Offered by EAA Chapter 179.
Scholarship Awards by Year
EAA Air Academy (Oshkosh) Scholarship Recipients
Ray Scholarship Recipients
Awards by Year (Go to TOP)
2024 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Jocelyn Muñiz – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Orion Francis – Reimer Memorial Scholarship
Daisy Belmares-Ortega – RC “Doc” Weaver Memorial Scholarship
Ashlee Simkins – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Isabella Baldonado – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Alex Martinez – Advanced Air Academy Scholarship
Dominic Martinez – EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
Ava Diaz – EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
2023 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Michael Wang – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Isabella Baldonado – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Sophia McIntyre – Reimer Memorial Scholarship
Benjamin DeGuio – Reimer Memorial Scholarship
Christian Guerra – RC “Doc” Weaver Leadership Scholarship
Daisy Belmares Ortega – Luke Vaughn Aviation Scholarship
Nathanial Parks – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
William Reese – Advanced Air Academy Scholarship
Mia Alderete – Advanced Air Academy Scholarship
Christian Guerra – EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
2022 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Scott Hofmann – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Scarlette McIntyre – Reimer Memorial Scholarship
Ashlee Simkins – RC “Doc” Weaver Leadership Scholarship
Daisy Belmares Ortega – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Veronica Bearup – EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
Mia Alderete – EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
2021 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Scott Hofmann – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Everett Taylor – Bob Hartman Memorial Scholarship
Vladislav Sevostianov – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Sergio Morales – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Luke Vaughn – EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
2020 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Jacob Edington – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Jesus Perez – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Madison Thompson – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Sophie Haag – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Sophia Haag – EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
Jacob Edington – EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
2019 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Taylor Jenkins – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Matthew McKelvey – Bob Hartman Memorial Scholarship
Kiera Bethke – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Samuel Cortes – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Christian Orehek – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Rowan Phlieger – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Alec Villarreal – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Rowan Phlieger – EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
2018 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Madison Thompson – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Kyle Usiak – Bob Hartman Memorial Scholarship
Luke McKee – EAA 179 Scholarship
Sam E. Baczkiewicz – EAA 179 Scholarship
2017 Aviation Scholarship Recipients Presentation (pdf)
Zachary Andrews – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Nathan Mendoza – Bob Hartman Memorial Scholarship
Ryan Moloney – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Nicholas Pashenkov – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Kasia Segieda – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
2016 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Riley Brainard – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Joshua Skeen – Bob Hartman Memorial Scholarship
Ryan Moloney- George Applebay Memorial Scholarship
Isaac Wilson – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
2015 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Joel Stribling – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Andrew Volgenin-Kulikoff – Bob Hartman Memorial Scholarship
Isaac Wilson – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
2014 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Gerald Gayle – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Ruth Darsey – Bob Hartman Memorial Scholarship
Seth Rozzelle – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
2013 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Leigh Tu – Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship
Jeffrey Salazar – Bob Hartman Memorial Scholarship
Connor Welch – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
2011 Aviation Scholarship Recipients
Justin Denman – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
Maya Robinson – EAA 179 Aviation Scholarship
EAA Air Academy (Oshkosh) Scholarship Recipients (Go to TOP)
2024 Alex Martinez
2023 Mia Alderete and William Reese
2021 Scott Morgan and Nicholas Romo (cancelled)
2020 Scott Morgan and Nicholas Romo (cancelled)
2019 Joel Inventor and Jesus Perez
2018 Alec Villereal
2017 Sam Baczkiewicz
2016 Ryan Moloney
2015 Ryan Moloney, Ash Fried
2014 Mark Chappell
Ray Scholarship Recipients (Go to TOP)
Since 2017 we have qualified for EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship grants now NINE times, supporting scholars to complete their Private Pilot certificate.
Chapter 179’s second 2024 Ray Scholarship recipient is Ava Diaz. Ava is a senior at Oak Grove Classical Academy. She is also a member of their cross-country track team. She was a 2024 DEAA participant, which was the ultimate spark to get her focused on being airborne! Ava started her private pilot flight training late last fall and is on the verge of soloing at Del Sol Aviation.
2024 RAY SCHOLAR, Dominic Martinez
“I got into aviation through a Young Eagles flight at Double Eagle. That one flight inspired me to look more into aviation and that is how I decided I wanted to get into the aviation industry. I decided to pursue flight training as the first step to getting to fly big commercial aircraft. I plan to be either an airline pilot or aeronautical engineer, maybe even both. As of right now I do not know what college I want to attend, but ASU would be at the top of the list.
I am super thankful for this opportunity, and can’t wait to see what lies ahead. “
2023 RAY SCHOLAR, Christian Guerra
Christian is a senior at Cleveland High School (December 2023) and has a plan to complete his private pilot certificate prior to heading off to college in about 8-9 months. He has already been volunteering his time to assist the chapter (me) with the nuances of building and debugging Google Forms for our application process. If you see him headed out to preflight, be sure to say hello and congratulate him on his Ray Scholarship award.
2022 RAY SCHOLAR, Mia Alderete
Mia is the 6th EAA Ray Scholarship winner for Chapter 179 since 2019. Mia has a passion for flying and has a dedicated commitment to fly for one of the major airlines. She’s just making great strides to get her PPL, having completed her first solo in June 2023. And has been accepted to Southwest’s training program to become ultimately a Southwest pilot.
2022 RAY SCHOLAR, Veronica Bearup
Veronica (Roni) had also received a Junior ROTC flight scholarship to a school in South Carolina. And just like Luke, COVID and an instructor shortage had her returning to Albuquerque needing about 12-15 hours additional training to complete her Private Pilot’s License. To further upset her aviation training, she moved to Nebraska and needed to complete her training and take her check ride there. All’s well that ends well; Roni received her PPL on 2 July 2022.
2021 RAY SCHOLAR, Luke Vaughn
Luke was selected as Chapter 179’s fourth Ray Scholar in 3 years. He began his flight training at the University of North Dakota, having previously won a Junior ROTC flight training scholarship. Because of COVID and a shortage of flight instructors he returned to Albuquerque in the summer of ’21 needing his cross-country work to complete his Private Pilot’s License. He completed license just 2 weeks before heading to the Air Force Academy, where he is in the 2026 graduating class.
2020 RAY SCHOLAR, Sophia Haag
For 2020, Sophie Haag was selected, after she had already soloed on New Year’s Day 2020. Sophie proceeded to complete her written exam and passed her Private Pilot check ride in August 2020! Congrats Sophie!
Sophie is now a member of the class of 2025 at the US Air Force Academy and will pursue her dream of becoming a military pilot very soon. Congrats Sophie!
2020 RAY SCHOLAR, Jacob Edington
With remaining funds, Chapter 179 selected Jacob Edington as a second 2020 Ray Scholar. Jacob had just started his flight training, using the chapter scholarship. Unfortunately, Jacob had a serious accident riding his bicycle one day and had to curtail his flight training before heading off to college in Texas.
2019 RAY SCHOLAR, Rowan Phlieger
Chapter 179 was awarded EAA’s 2019 Ray Aviation Fund Scholarship. Rowan Phlieger was selected from 2019 chapter scholarship applicants to receive this $10,000 flight training scholarship to complete Private Pilot training. Rowan completed her PPL over the summer in time to start at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ.
Want to Contribute? DONATE TODAY! We appreciate donations of any amount to our main scholarship fund, the Bob Hartman Memorial Scholarship, or Jay Schmitt Memorial Scholarship. Chapter 179 is a 501c(3) tax exempt charitable organization. Donate online or send a check to “EAA 179 Scholarships; Double Eagle II Airport, 7401 Atrisco Vista Blvd NW #179, Albuquerque, NM 87120-6601”. (Go to TOP)
Last Updated on February 18, 2025 by gyoungiii