To all those who make the Blake Chapman scholarship possible, hello!
In case you don’t know me, my name is Ethan Marcum. I was the Blake Chapman scholarship recipient in 2016. I wanted to update you on where I am at with my aviation journey.
Since being awarded the Blake Chapman Scholarship and finishing my private license in October 2016, after returning home from a two-year LDS mission to Peru, I attended Utah State University’s professional pilot program beginning in the spring of 2019. Thanks to already having my private pilot’s license and extra training through the summers, I could graduate early in fall 2021. I began instructing at a flight school in Logan, UT, in November 2021 until I reached my hour minimum in October 2022. Once I reached them, I was hired and began training at SkyWest Airlines. I finished training a few months ago and have been flying as a professional airline pilot since then. I have accomplished my dream, which all started thanks to you!
I began this journey during my first airplane ride at a Young Eagles Day when I was 17. To everyone involved with that event – thank you. To further investigate if aviation was a path I wanted to pursue, I began doing work experience at Teton Aviation Center. There, I began learning more about and developing a passion for the industry. Thank you to Peter Klein, Jim Jackson, and everyone else who helped make that happen. Those experiences helped me earn the scholarship that helped me fall in love with aviation even more. To Colleen Schooley (my instructor), Jim Jackson, The Community Foundation of Teton Valley, Tin Cup donors, and everyone else working behind the scenes that make this amazing opportunity available to youth year after year: thank you so much. None of the success that I have had would have been possible without all of you.
Thank you so much for this fantastic scholarship, for the work and sacrifice that goes into making it possible, and for providing an opportunity for youth such as myself to learn about such an amazing industry and provide the means to help us achieve our goals.
My goal now is to fly for a major airline, keep giving back to aspiring pilots, and continually learn in my professional and personal life.
Please use me as a resource for aspiring aviators and the scholarship to ensure this opportunity continues to be available to future students.
With sincere gratitude,
Ethan Marcum
