![]( "Lillian Johnson earned a $20,000 scholarship to attend flight courses over the summer. She is a junior at West Nassau High School.")
Lillian Johnson earned a $20,000 scholarship to attend flight courses over the summer. She is a junior at West Nassau High School.
West Nassau High School’s Lillian Johnson received a scholarship to participate in pilot training classes this summer.
The scholarship is valued at nearly $20,000 and provides for transportation, room and board, academics and flight hours for Johnson to potentially earn a pilot’s license. The high school junior may choose from 11 pre-selected universities across the U.S., including Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona or Arizona, Kansas State University, Purdue University and the University of Oklahoma. The classes are eight weeks.
“Cadet Johnson is one of 150 Air Force Junior ROTC cadets around the world to receive the scholarship from Headquarters Air Force Junior ROTC, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala.,” a Department of the Air Force Air University press release notes. “More than 1,560 cadets applied for one of the 150 scholarships. There are more than 120,000 high school students enrolled in Air Force Junior ROTC at almost 900 high schools in the U.S. and overseas.”
After she earns her pilot’s license, the U.S. Air Force will fund monthly flights to help retain her skills. Johnson is not required to fly nor is
she required to enter the
Air Force after high school,
according to Senior Aero-space Science Instructor Col. Gregg Kline.
“It’s an incentive to put aviation in the hearts and minds of young kids,” he said.
Johnson, a junior, serves as class flight commander in her third period JROTC class. She is still considering whether she will enter the military after high school.
“The Flight Academy Scholarship Program is Air Force-level initiative in collaboration with the commercial aviation industry to address the national civilian and military pilot shortage,” according to the press release. “Those who participate in the program do not incur a military commitment to the Air Force or other branch of service, nor does completing the program guarantee acceptance into one of the military’s commissioning programs. The mission of Air Force Junior ROTC is to develop citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community, while instilling values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and sense of accomplishment.”
Johnson is the daughter of Jeff and Crisalaina Johnson.