Stuart Air Show IDOT Scholarship in Memory of Steve Bednarz

$3,000
1 winner$3,000
Awarded
Application Deadline
May 31, 2025
Winners Announced
Jul 9, 2025
Education Level
High School
Eligibility Requirements
State:
Florida
Major:
STEM-related
Career Field:
Aviation
Education Level:
High school senior

Steve Bednarz was a beloved husband and father who passed away too soon. He was an engineer at Pratt and Whitney for thirty-six years. Steve loved his job and loved helping kids who were interested in STEM. Steve's family was looking for a way to honor Steve's passion for education and volunteerism and along came the Stuart Air Show.

The Stuart Air Show is put on annually in November. For more than thirty-five years, the organization has been dedicated to honoring the history of American aviation and veterans. Each year, the air show attracts tens of thousands of attendees and partners with schools and children's service agencies to offer STEM and other educational opportunities to hundreds of school-age children. 

This scholarship seeks to honor the incredible life of Steve Bednarz by supporting students who share his passion for STEM and aviation.

Any high school senior in Florida who attends one of the following schools and who plans to major in STEM and ultimately pursue an aviation career may apply for this scholarship opportunity. Students must attend Jensen Beach High School, Clark Advanced Learning Center, Martin County High School, South Fork High School, Lincoln Park Academy, Somerset College Prep Academy, Fort Pierce Central High School, Treasure Coast High School, St. Lucie West Centennial High School, Fort Pierce Westwood High School, or Port St. Lucie High School. Applicants should exemplify IDOT - Individuals Doing Outstanding Things.

To apply, tell us about your aviation goals, why you're applying for this scholarship, what sets you apart from other applicants, and what your community involvement has looked like. Additionally, upload a picture of yourself doing something related to the scholarship, such as volunteering or showing a love of aviation.

Selection Criteria:
Ambition, Drive, Passion
Published February 7, 2025
Essay Topic

What are your goals in the aviation industry? Why are you applying for this scholarship and what sets you apart from the other applicants? Demonstrate your community involvement.

400–600 words

Winning Application

Lucas Schwerdtfeger
Jensen Beach High SchoolJensen Beach, FL
Even before I could articulate what I wanted to do with my life, I knew it involved space. My elementary school teachers and classmates would see me as the boy who always read books much bigger than he could carry — encyclopedias and almanacs adorned with vibrant images of planets, stars, and galactic phenomena. In my after school program, while other children my age were playing sports or chatting, I would sit in the teacher’s lounge and read these books; at the time I could recite countless statistics relating to our universe. In middle school, however, I was disappointed to discover that space was only briefly covered in 8th grade. When that day finally came, my expectations were ruined by surface level, outdated information. Consequently, I lost hope in my school to really challenge me to think. However, my 11th grade physics teacher, Mr. Porch, revived my hope with a rocket science project that went well beyond the AP physics curriculum. He would answer my never ending questions and even ask me questions that challenged me to think from different angles. Another teacher I've had, Mr. Tyrrell, allowed me to explore my interests through a hands-on and independently operated approach; he allowed me to deconstruct and fix a series of broken 3D printers as well as design a number of projects for his other engineering classes. While in college, I hope to be encouraged and challenged as much as I have been by the influential teachers I’ve had with engaging, knowledgeable, and passionate professors. I am dedicated to one day making a contribution, however small it might be, to the advancement of the scientific community through the design of innovative or efficient systems that will, quite literally, help us reach the stars. That’s why I have applied to numerous universities, both in and out of state, with a major in aerospace engineering. My love of mathematicians, physics, and engineering have only intensified as I have been more exposed to it through my courses in AP classes as well as my participation in the engineering academy at my school. I know I will make a difference as an engineer because my goals lie in the development of systems to increase efficiency. I will work to one day be in a position to further reduce waste or fuel consumption in advanced systems or develop more sustainable practices in relation to aerospace engineering as a whole. After college, I plan to work for one of the countless aeronautical industries based in the Treasure or Space Coast and contribute to the thriving aerospace economy in the area. I am truly lucky to grow up so close to a major core of this industry; I live 15 minutes away from an airport and roughly 2 hours away from the Kennedy Space Center (of which I’ve visited more times than I can remember). This scholarship will enable me to consider some of the more expensive universities I have been accepted to such as Carnegie Mellon as I pursue my dream to become the best version of myself I can be for the community I live in - a community I have been heavily involved in serving (with over 700 volunteer hours) through my participation in beach cleanups, community festivals, and community instrumental performances that I have arranged and participated in through my band program, the Treasure Coast Youth Symphony, MartinArts, St. Mary’s Church, and the independent ensembles that I direct.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is May 31, 2025. Winners will be announced on Jul 9, 2025.