By Mark Sturm, EAA 557803
I don’t know many teenagers who will willingly get up before 6:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings and drive to the airport with no expectation of flying, just to help out their EAA chapter. Our 2021 Chapter 179 Ray scholar, Luke Vaughn, is enthusiastically committed to getting young people involved and excited about aviation. He personally has that passion and is eager to share it with others
Luke has been fascinated with flying since early grade school. In 2020, as a high school junior, he was selected and awarded a Junior ROTC flight scholarship at the University of North Dakota. The goal of the eight-week program was to fast track students through their private pilot certificate. However, forest fires, COVID-19, and instructor shortages had him returning home to Albuquerque having soloed, but without his certificate. Chapter 179 recognized his dedication and commitment and realized he was the perfect candidate for our 2021 Ray Aviation Scholarship.
On four separate early morning Young Eagles events, Luke came to the airport to help. He wasn’t asked to come volunteer, he just showed up and jumped in by helping set up tables, displays, brochures, the computer, welcoming arriving kids and parents, ensuring all the necessary pre-flight paperwork was signed (parents and pilots), and coordinating with pilots for their next flight.
Luke was also immensely helpful to our scholarship committee for 2022. We had funding for four $2,000 chapter scholarships as well as having been approved for another Ray Scholarship, and we wanted to attract the highest quality candidates. He built our announcement flyer with pictures and a QR code, and was the chapter’s primary “marketing” man — getting the word out via his high school, JROTC, chapter, and social media connections. He built a Google Form web-based scholarship application, automated all applicant data into a Google Sheet scoring document, and sat in on the scoring committee discussions. We now have five excellent scholars for 2022.
At our May chapter meeting, Luke asked if he could give a presentation of his aviation training journey. He recounted several of the highs and lows he had experienced. He was so grateful for the mentorship and financial support he received from both UND and EAA. In fact, he was so appreciative that he wants to pay it forward by helping a special kid who is excited about aviation. In that effort, he and his family personally donated $2,000 for our chapter to establish the “Clear Skies” scholarship for a deserving young person in 2023! The membership was blown away with Luke’s commitment and generosity.
Once he graduated, with honors, from high school in early May, he then had the time to complete his private pilot training, earning his private pilot certificate on May 27. With these two major accomplishments completed, he had three weeks off before beginning his next great adventure — as a freshman (Dooley) at the United States Air Force Academy! Luke Vaughn, we wish you clear skies and tailwinds on your newest journey; we couldn’t be prouder of you.
EAA Chapter 179
Albuquerque, NM