Bryce Gordon is a Senior at Mt. St. Antonio College in Walnut, California.
His earliest memories include trips to Brackett Airport for breakfast with his mother, so he could watch airplanes takeoff and land. Gordon grew up playing Microsoft Flight Simulator, building models and flying RC aircraft. Right out of high school he started taking aviation classes at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC). It didn’t take him long to absorb himself in everything the program had to offer. He was selected for membership into the college’s Flight Training Association to begin his flight training.
Gordon’s love and early entry into aviation was evident. He became a Student Advisor and started washing airplanes for College Aviation (Mt. SAC’s flight school) where he is currently employed as a dispatcher. Bryce joined the Mt. SAC Flying Team and earned a slot on the 2004 team that won the prestigious Loening Trophy (awarded to the nation’s top team based on competition excellence and involvement in the aviation community.
Bryce is currently in his final semesters at Mt. SAC and will soon start classes at Southern Illinois University’s off campus program located on Mt. SAC’s campus. He is also working for American Airports at Brackett Airport and is the Maintenance Officer for College Aviation, where he coordinates the flight schools maintenance. Bryce has earned his Commercial Pilot certificate and is in the final stages of his Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) training.
Upon receiving notice of the scholarship award Bryce Gordon wrote the following note to the United Airlines Historical Foundation Board.
“I can’t thank you enough for the scholarship that has been given to me. I am planning on using all of the scholarship money to help pay for my multi-engine rating this summer. Without your help, it would have probably been another year before I could afford such a rating.”
As for the future, I am planning on continuing flight instructing until I am done with school and have enough hours to move on to a regional airline. Becoming an airline pilot has been my main goal and source of motivation in life. I know I am on the right track and it is only a matter of time before I in the right seat of a jet. Your help in this process is greatly appreciated and, again, thank you.”
Katie Lake
Katie Lake is a Senior at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois (SIUC) majoring in Aviation Flight and Aviation Management.
Besides pursuing her major studies, she is involved in both Women in Aviation and Aviation Ambassadors, two important “Registered Student Organizations” at SIU that have a connection to aviation. Lake holds a Private Pilot License – Single Engine Land and is working on her Commercial License. She first soloed in a Cessna 172R but the extent of her training has been in the Cessna 152.
Currently, Katie is working on the National Airport Safety Data Collection Program in Carbondale where she submits changes in Master Record Data to the FAA; assists FAA certified inspectors during airport inspections and prepares contract packages for each state under the SIUC grants.
Lake’s employment objective is to pursue a career in aviation beginning in commercial flight operations and management. Upon learning she was chosen as a recipient of the Arnott Legacy Scholarship, Lake wrote: “This scholarship will allow me to enter my last semester at SIUC with such motivation and enthusiasm. My words will not be able to capture how thankful I am to receive such a generous award. Thank you so much.”