2024 ATCA Scholarship Winners

A college degree is one of the greatest investments a young person can make in pursuit of their career, and for an established professional to advance in their career.  

Given the ever-increasing cost of a higher education, making this investment can be difficult for a student to achieve on their own. 

The ATCA Scholarships are awarded each year to help support the financial needs of those deserving students who have chosen to seek higher education in the science of air traffic control (ATC) and other aviation disciplines; and to also support children/grandchildren of ATC specialists in any advanced education. This year, ATCA gave eight students a total of $60,000 to help with their tuition, hopefully making their career pursuits that much easier. 

We are happy to introduce you to the ATCA Scholarship winners for 2024.

Gabriel A. Hartl Scholarship

Awarded to students enrolled half- to full-time in a two- to four-year ATC program at an institution approved and/or licensed by the FAA as directly supporting the FAA’s college and training initiative.

Wesley Himbrick, Hampton University
Michaela Goetz, University of North Dakota

Lawrence C. Fortier Memorial Scholarship

Awarded to students enrolled half- to full-time in a program leading to a bachelor’s degree or higher in an aviation-related course of study.

Tyler Kleinsasser, SD School of Mines and Technology
Sofia Gillian, Georgia Institute of Technology
Jacob Swisher, Auburn University
Jadon Duff, Florida Institute of Technology

Buckingham Memorial Scholarship

Awarded to US citizen, children of ATC specialists enrolled in half- to full-time in a program leading to a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Parth Patel, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Clay Boyle, Virginia Military Institute 

Congratulations to all this year’s recipients. ATCA's Scholarship Fund relies on donations to fund our four aviation scholarships. The ATCA Scholarship program has been around since 1983 when it recognized one student with a small scholarship award. It has grown exponentially since then, supporting 8-12 students each year, with an average of $75,000 in scholarships awarded annually. As of 2024, ATCA has given away nearly $1.4 million dollars to deserving students. Please consider contributing today at https://www.atca.org/get-involved/donate.