Scholarship winners aim high, thanks to 5K sponsors and race participants

Posted: November 18, 2022

Ohio State Piper Seminole in flight — Ohio State's multiengine training aircraft is a Piper Seminole.

The Ohio State University Airport is pleased to announce winners of the 2022 Flight Education Multiengine Scholarship, funded by proceeds from the 2022 Don Scott Trot: 5K on the Runway. With over $19,000 raised through the generosity of sponsorships and race participants, four Ohio State student pilots have received funding to offset the cost of advanced flight training to earn the multiengine rating.

“This rating is essential for our students to succeed in their future aviation endeavors,” said Director of Flight Education Brandon Mann.

Advanced flight training utilizes the Ohio State aircraft fleet’s new Piper Seminole, which fittingly led the 5K as the pace vehicle.

Airport Director Adam Wolf was enthusiastic about the support for this year’s 5K. “We are excited that the word of this event is spreading and we were able to accommodate a record number of registrations, which supported our fundraiser for student scholarships.”

Silver-level race sponsors, which each donated $3,000, were Crawford, Murphy & Tilly; FlightSafety International; Spartan Air; and Worthington Industries.

Scholarship awardees were selected based on readiness to begin the multiengine rating, class progress and financial need.

Meet the four winners, who each hope to one day fly for major airlines:

Close ups of four students' faces — Clockwise from top left: Devin Fry, Ben Goodrich, Trent Long, David Thome

Devin Fry, air transportation major, expected graduation spring 2023
“This scholarship will allow me to earn my CMEL rating sooner, which will allow me to start building multiengine time sooner. Thank you so much for your generosity. Through you all, we are able to complete the next step in achieving our goals!”

Ben Goodrich, air transportation major, expected graduation spring 2024
“Earning this scholarship is exciting for me. Not only is the financial reward something to celebrate, but more importantly, earning this scholarship, from a distinguished university and flight program, is something I am most proud of. Additionally, earning this scholarship in the area of study I am most passionate about is very rewarding. I would like to extend a huge thank you to the generous sponsors of the Don Scott Trot: 5k on the Runway. I would also like to thank The Ohio State University for hosting the event and all the participants who took part in the Don Scott Trot. Collectively, your efforts allowed for the scholarship to exist in the first place, and for that, I am grateful.”

Trent Long, air transportation major, expected graduation spring 2023
“This scholarship shows me how much The Ohio State University flight school cares about its students. This scholarship is very motivating for me to keep striving toward my goals as a pilot and makes me proud to call myself a Buckeye. I am very honored to have received this. Thank you to all of the donors and sponsors from the Don Scott Trot. I greatly appreciate the financial support I have been given to pursue my education and career aspirations.”

David Thome, air transportation major, expected graduation spring 2023
“This scholarship awards me the opportunity to advance further in my aviation career to the airlines. Thank you so very much for your support and contributions to our Flight School. We are so fortunate to have such generous donors and we can never thank you enough for all the support you've shown us.”

Learn more about the Ohio State Flight Education program by visiting: https://fly.osu.edu/.