By Kyra Becker, EAA 1313802
The Ray Aviation Scholarship has helped me in ways I never imagined. This summer I worked long and hard to complete my private pilot certificate. It wasn’t easy and definitely was a lot to manage with a job and a social life. I am very grateful to have had the experiences I had and the people I met through my journey being a Ray scholar.
I flew at least two to four times a week and studied many hours a week. I soloed on May 27, 2019. I did my solo cross-country on July 29. I passed my knowledge exam August 1. Finally, on August 20, I passed my private pilot checkride!
On August 24, I took my first passenger up, my twin sister, Kendra! A week after I passed my checkride, I started at Vermont Technical College, and I am majoring in professional pilot technology. I will continue my aviation journey with the next step of obtaining my instrument rating. Thanks to the Ray Aviation Scholarship, I will be a year ahead in flight training and will enter with the sophomore class, which saves me thousands of dollars.
I am very involved with EAA Chapter 613 and am excited to continue being involved with all that our chapter does. Some quotes that helped me along the way are: “If it was easy everyone would do it,” “Believe in yourself,” and, most importantly, “Trust yourself.”