Seven Embry-Riddle Students Receive NBAA Scholarships at Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition

UAA Janice K. Barden Aviation Scholarship

The Barden Scholarship is named for the founder of Aviation Personnel International, who has been active in the aviation community for decades and has served as the local committee chair of NBAA's Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition. This year’s recipient:

John Sami, a senior at the Prescott, Ariz., campus, is studying aeronautics with a triple minor in aviation business administration, aviation science and security / intelligence.

Alan H. Conklin Business Aviation Management Scholarship

This scholarship honors the memory of Al Conklin, a U.S. Air Force veteran, business aviation leader and member of NBAA’s Operations Committee. This year’s recipient:

Leonard Nalbone, a senior at the Worldwide Campus, is majoring in aviation business administration. He is a commercial pilot as well as an airframe and powerplant technician. Nalbone has been partner and general manager at Jamestown Aviation Company LLC in Jamestown, N.Y., since 2006.

William M. Fanning Maintenance Scholarship

The Fanning Scholarship recognizes individuals who are studying to enter the field of business aviation maintenance. It is named in honor of retired NBAA staff member William Fanning, who was active in maintenance issues during his nearly 20-year tenure at the association. This year’s recipient:

Erica McConnell, a senior at the Daytona Beach, Fla., campus, is majoring in aviation maintenance science. She has been awarded the Embry-Riddle Women of Excellence Scholarship from 2011 to the present. Most recently she worked at Yelvington Jet Aviation in Daytona Beach as a customer service representative.

Lawrence Ginocchio Aviation Scholarship

The Ginocchio Scholarship was created in 2001 by NBAA Charities, along with the family and friends of the late Lawrence Ginocchio, to honor his outstanding personal contributions to business aviation. This year’s recipients:

• Madeline Kuhn, a junior at the Prescott Campus, is majoring in aviation business administration. She worked for the Civil Air Patrol, the auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, from 2010 to 2014. Most recently she was an intern with Textron Aviation’s Aftermarket Sales Operations.
• Michael Mascari, a senior at the Daytona Beach Campus, is majoring in unmanned aircraft systems science. He has worked as an unmanned systems risk management intern at AIG Aerospace.
• Francisco Felipe Pastrana, a junior at the Daytona Beach Campus, is majoring in aerospace engineering with a minor in flight. He is a private pilot with an instrument rating and commercial, single-engine and multi-engine certifications.

Eddie Queen Business Aviation Management Scholarship

Along with Signature Flight Support, NBAA Charities created this scholarship to honor the memory of Eddie Queen, a Signature Flight Support line service technician for 58 years. This year’s recipient:

Anna Romer, a senior at the Worldwide Campus, is majoring in aviation maintenance management with a minor in aviation safety. She is a private pilot and airframe and powerplant technician with an inspection authorization.

The NBAA Charities Scholarship Program, supported by NBAA member donors, offers nearly $100,000 annually in cash awards as tuition reimbursement for enrolled students and nearly the same amount in monetary and training awards for working professionals in business aviation, including pilots, flight and maintenance technicians, schedulers, dispatchers and flight attendants. For more information, go to nbaa.org/scholarships.

NBAA Media Contact: Dan Hubbard, Senior Vice President of Communications; (202) 783-9360; dhubbard@nbaa.org.