Gulfstream recently established a four-year college scholarship for eligible seniors attending West Michigan Aviation Academy (WMAA) in Grand Rapids. The Gulfstream Aerospace Scholarship begins with the class of 2014, the school’s first class of graduating seniors.
Gulfstream will award a $60,000 scholarship to one WMAA graduating senior each year from 2014 to 2017, totaling $240,000. Students will be selected on the basis of financial need, academic performance and enrollment in an aviation-related degree path at an accredited higher education institution.
“We are thrilled to partner with the West Michigan Aviation Academy to help foster future aviation leaders,” said Jennifer Giffen, vice president, Human Resources, Gulfstream. “Gulfstream is committed to advancing education and cultivating the talent our industry will need as the business-aviation market continues to grow.”
WMAA is a tuition-free public charter high school that offers a unique aviation education, along with a rigorous academic curriculum. The school opened in the fall of 2010 with 80 freshmen and now has 400 students. More than 70 seniors are expected to graduate in spring 2014.
“We are grateful to Gulfstream for this support of our students and our school,” said Patrick Cwayna, chief executive officer, WMAA. “It is WMAA’s mission to prepare our students for successful careers in aviation, and this scholarship will further advance that career path after graduation.”
In the addition to the WMAA scholarship, Gulfstream supports a number of educational initiatives focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning, from on-site aviation career days to college internship and co-op opportunities.