‘Never Thought I Would Be Here’: Scholarships Fuel Business Students’ Success

Growing up on the island of Jamaica, Soleih Gooden would always go along on rides to the local airport, whether she was traveling or not. “I loved the environment,” said Gooden, who is now a senior in Aviation Business Administration at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s David B. O’Maley College of Business.

Although she was captivated by aviation and travel, she never imagined she would end up studying abroad.

“It’s quite funny whenever reality hits, because I never thought I would be here,” she said from Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus. “Growing up, the plan was always to attend college locally because I knew I would never be able to afford to study overseas.”

The reality of studying at Embry-Riddle has come about for Gooden because of hard work and focus — she has been on the Dean’s List or the Honor Roll since May 2019 — along with financial assistance from the O’Maley Family Endowment, the Alpha Eagle Aviation and Science Foundation Fund, The Ronald Weaver Endowed Scholarship and the Women of Excellence Scholarship.

This fall, 40 students in the David B. O’Maley College of Business have been awarded scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year. These awards go a long way toward cultivating the future leadership pipeline to satisfy industry needs, according to Dean Shanan Gibson.

“The aviation, aerospace and space industries require top-notch talent in order to remain competitive,” said Gibson. “While every student’s story is different, scholarships help ensure that the most deserving students have a chance to learn, graduate and begin adding value to the industry while also giving back to society. Scholarships show students that this world believes in them and instill a greater sense of belonging, and motivation, to become the next generation of leaders for the business of flight.”

When Gooden is not at work on her studies, she is working 18 hours a week at the College of Business and Embry-Riddle’s financial aid office, or demonstrating her leadership in the community, for which she was awarded the Outstanding Student Service Award in May.

“There is so much more to our community here at Embry-Riddle than just academics,” she said. “Whenever I am in the College of Business, whether on or off the clock, I try my best to go above and beyond to serve those around me.”

Scholarship Recipients

These students were awarded the following scholarships thus far for the 2021-2022 academic year:

Georgia Alberts - College of Business Endowed Scholarship

Joel Almendarez - James A. Bryan, Jr. Endowed Fellowship

Sergio Alvarez - International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading Foundation

Yair Baker - The Louis H. Craig and Randolph M. Bailly Memorial Scholarship

Ibukunoluwa Bankole - O'Maley Family Endowment

Roseline Bellevue - ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship, Ulch Business Scholarship

Jerry Deshawn Bracey - Project Liftoff Student Success and Scholarship Program

Savannah Brockenbrough - Jim & Carole Henderson Business Endowed Scholarship

Carly Campbell - Centeno Family Scholarship, ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship, Richard Cook Memorial Scholarship

Elias Campbell - C. Jeffrey and Katherine Knittel Endowed Scholarship, ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship

Sebastian Cavichiolo - William Dollaway & Glenn Barcheski Scholarship, William F. Marrison Scholarship

Alexandria Cogdell - James H. Bastian Endowed Scholarship, You Rock Scholarship

Robert Consolo - Amelia Peabody Aviation Endowed Fellowship

Calvin Freeman - John Paul Riddle Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Jetro Gallo - Jason Wismer Memorial Endowed Scholarship, John and Audrey Eberle Endowed Scholarship, NARA Business Aviation Endowed Scholarship

Soleih Gooden - O'Maley Family Endowment, Ronald Weaver Endowed Scholarship

Sophia Gustely - Dr. John and Judith Longshore Endowed Scholarship

Cody Highley - FBO Scholarship

Macey Hughes - ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship, George and Carolyn Butchikas Women in Business Scholarship, Josephine O'Connor Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Jacob Islas - College of Business Philanthropy Council Scholarship

Amina Issoufou Anaroua - Amelia Peabody Aviation Endowed Fellowship, Irma Kirk Endowed Scholarship, International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading Foundation

Katie Konicki - International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading Foundation (Prescott)

Konstantin Kosoric - ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship

Alyssa Lang - Josephine O'Connor Memorial Endowed Scholarship, Rolls-Royce Customer Business Endowed Scholarship, LendingPoint Scholarship

Rohan Mahajan - International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading Foundation

Samer Marrouche - College of Business - Business Leadership Council, George H. Ebbs, Jr. Endowed Scholarship

Olivia Martin - ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship, James W. and Essie W. Barfield Endowed Scholarship

Shelby McKinney - Damon and Debra D'Agostino Endowed Scholarship

Antonio Moreno-Borruso - College of Business Scholarship - Term

James Myers - James W. and Essie W. Barfield Endowed Scholarship

Jonathan Orella - ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship, James W. and Essie W. Barfield Endowed Scholarship

Andrew Osgood - ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship, PBJ Scholarship

David Parrilla - Robert W. Baker Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Param Patel - ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship

Charyari Ramos - Nash Family Foundation Scholarship

Alexander Schmucker - Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship

Lothin Serao - Rowe Endowed Scholarship Fund

Anna Szaumkessel - ERAU Florida License Plate Endowed Scholarship

Soumedh Trivedy - College of Business Philanthropy Council Scholarship

Anthony Ventura - The Louis H. Craig and Randolph M. Bailly Memorial Scholarship

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