Aviation Scholarship 2010 recipient
Ryan Haring
Essay for the Louis Mancuso, Sr., Scholarship
In the winter of sixth grade I desperately wanted to go skiing. However my parents were not quite as excited. So they asked me if I would rather take a flight lesson or ski; I quickly seized the opportunity to take a flight lesson. Later we realized, it would have been much less of a hassle, and cheaper for my parents if we had decided to go skiing–I was hooked. Shortly after this, I learned about the Eastern Suffolk BOCES Pilot Training Program, and spent a very long four years getting necessary credits for my school, taking a few more flight lessons, and then finally enrolling when I reached my junior year.
On September 5, 2009 my instructor, Ryan Blackford, decided to get out of the plane and let me fly by myself. On takeoff I said to myself "I can’t believe I’m doing this," and the rest became one of the best experiences of my life–I had soloed. Then after a few months and a few weather delays I flew with Robert Osinski on my checkride and became a certified Private Pilot on January 12th, 2010, before even the second semester of my senior year in high school. By this time I had realized that I definitely wanted to be flying for the rest of my life.
During my training I was realizing my dream of flying and I found that I had another dream, to pass on my knowledge of flying. I have decided I definitely want to become an instructor, but not just to build hours. I want to give others the opportunity, especially aspiring aviators, to realize their dreams of flying. I have been admitted to and hope to attend Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with dreams of becoming a Professional Pilot, and an instructor. However, this will not be possible without financial assistance. I hope that the Louis Mancuso Sr. Scholarship will be able to make it possible to realize not only my dreams, but the dreams of others that I hope to teach in the future.
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