Hannah Dollick Memorial Scholarship Essay Sadie Smith When I was a little kid, my grandfather, who had been a pilot, would sit me on his lap and tell me grand stories about flying. I was never able to fly with him, however, I remember the stories fondly today. He printed out the phonetic alphabet for me and helped me memorize each word. Since my junior year of high school, I have been actively pursuing a career as a missionary pilot. My friend and first flight instructor is now working for an organization called Mission Aviation Fellowship. I hope to obtain the ratings and credentials needed to fly with them in the next few years to bring help, hope, and healing to the ends of the earth. While my grandfather’s stories and love for aviation certainly impacted my passion, the day I first soloed - October 17th, 2023 - had me completely convinced that flying would be a joy I would pursue for the rest of my life. I remember the thrill and the fear and the pride that overwhelmed me all at once as I looked out the plane and saw the far-off clouds and beautiful bright landscape of eastern Wyoming all alone in a plane for the first time. I remember the second I landed and compressed the brakes way too much out of nervousness. I especially remember my first flight instructor standing out near the runway with a portable radio in hand. He was jumping up and down, ecstatic that I had successfully soloed. These are the memories that I look forward to sharing and that solidified my desire to become a pilot. One stark memory I have of my grandfather’s stories was, “All those darned rules and regulations were written in blood.” Someone died for each one and it would be an awful shame to let their loss be in vain for us not following the rules today. He told me a tale about a businessman trying to persuade my grandfather to fly him through a terrible storm to get to a business meeting. My grandfather refused stating, “There is never anywhere that you have to get to so badly that you have to get there dead.” As the story goes, the man found another pilot to take him and unfortunately, they did not make it to their destination. I don’t know the truthfulness of this story as my grandfather did tell some tall tales, but I do know that the moral of the story clings to me to this day. My first flight instructor constantly had to remind me to run through my checklists when I forgot and we would have to circle back to descend or even perform a go-around. It was essential to him that I didn’t become too familiar with each checklist in case I forgot something. Every time we flew together, he would either have me dictate each item aloud as I performed the task or he would read them to me. Being able to read sectional charts and adequately planning out flights before flying them is imperative to safe flying. Often I would get “behind the airplane” to the point that my instructor once remarked, “If we crashed you’d survive!” With the digital world we live in, relying on electronic devices can be tempting, but it can end in catastrophe. Learning the “old fashioned” but proper way of navigation and flight planning is a great way to prioritize safety. While my aviation journey started at a young age, I am still vigorously pursuing my private pilot’s license. There has been hurdle after hurdle to jump but I will not give up! In January of 2023, I studied with a ground instructor to take and pass my written exam along with my dad. We looked for flight instructors in our area but didn't find any that fit our schedules. I met my first flight instructor through our local church and started flying in September of 2023. I soloed in October and had to cease flying in December due to a lack of funding. I was so near to being prepared to take my check ride! I continued to “chair-fly” and study to stay ready. In February of 2024, I had saved up enough to start instruction again however, before I got up in the plane again, I concussed myself in a snowboarding accident. I was also in school to get my EMT license and between the headaches and all my school work, I wasn’t ready to fly again until May of 2024. At long last, I was ready to fly but over the summer, I was unable to fly because of any one of these reasons: weather, unavailable instructor, plane down for repair. In August 2024, I started taking classes to obtain my airframe and powerplant licensing. To my surprise, one of my classmates was a flight instructor! Around this time, my parents bought an airplane so that both my dad and I would be able to get our licenses. From September 2024 through December 2024, I retrained with my new instructor and I was very close to being ready to take my checkride for the second time. We had a one-month break from school in which my instructor went home and I was busy over the holidays. When classes started again, we found problem after problem with the airplane. My husband, who is an A&P, has been working on the plane in his spare time, but currently, I am waiting for the plane to be repaired to finish my flight training and get that license! With time and patience, I was able to recover from my concussion and study again. My passion for aviation has not once faltered and I am excited to soon be in the air again! Leadership, accountability, perseverance, determination, and passion have and will undoubtedly contribute to past and future successes. After volunteering at a local nursing home for three years, I have certainly learned many hard lessons to learn. Our elderly have such brilliant and striking stories to tell that can teach us so much. I heard about how vinegar can take the sting off a sunburn, and how being petty will only lead to loneliness. Learning to listen and honestly hear is one of my proudest skills. Those residents didn’t just want a book to read and a fluffy blanket to snuggle with. They didn’t just need help getting up to use the toilet or being wheeled to the dining hall. They needed someone, anyone, to hear their stories. It was very affecting to see so much loneliness and wisdom seeping through the walls. I learned to comfort and to hear what people had to say. Going through EMT school and working as an EMT in a fairly large city (Cheyenne, WY) caused me to see things that I can’t unsee. Making split-second decisions, standing up for myself and pointing out what I could see, and staying up all night to peel the hurt, broken, and bruised people off the interstate, all were very affecting. I saw the side of people that even their parents or children hadn’t seen. All these events helped to shape me as a person and as a pilot. I can make the split-second decision to make a go-around. I can hear when a passenger is afraid and needs comfort. I can speak up and I can admit when I don’t know the answer and when I need help. I believe that these skills will help me to prosper as a pilot and as a human being in a rough world. As much as I enjoy listening to stories, I have also learned to love telling them too. From far too many bad dad jokes to witnessing powerful testimonies at church, I have heard a diverse array of storytelling. For me, the most memorable have always involved what the speaker was most passionate about. For this reason, I’ve used aviation stories as a way to coach my girls’ basketball team, as a way to explain presentations to my fellow 4-H members, and even to try to convince my husband to help keep our house “in annual.” I simply can’t not talk about flying with all my friends and peers. It is because of this that I have been able to refer many of my female friends to fly-ins, my favorite aviation magazines, and even suggest that I take them up once I get my license. It’s no big event, but word-of-mouth enthusiasm for aviation has already made an impact on my community. While I don’t currently live in Alaska, my husband and I have been planning on moving there in the next three years. He’s been talking about it since we first met. I have family in Alaska and we both are excited for the beautiful scenery and the great job opportunities. As soon as I finish college, we plan to move there while he finishes out his remaining military commitment and while I build up hours to be able to fly as my career. I hope to become a flight instructor and to be able to learn the bush piloting skills that come with the harsh terrain and weather. Receiving this scholarship will help me, a broke college student who is recently married and passionately engrossed in a very expensive hobby, to afford to pursue my goals and dreams in much less time than it would take otherwise. This scholarship will help me to be able to afford to share my journey as well and to encourage other female aviators to keep at it, even when life throws you 50-knot crosswinds. As previously mentioned, the mountainous terrain and weather in Alaska can be quite brutal! While this is scary enough, much of this large state is uncontrolled airspace, meaning that there is little to no weather and traffic data to be received. If this wasn’t already a very challenging set of circumstances, the resources for pilots can be scarce, such as fuel, mechanics, and good runways. Not to mention the daylight cycles and the magnetic differences that I’m sure I don’t know the entire effects of yet. I don’t have a magic wand to wave to fix all these problems, however, I am studying to become a mechanic to become a better pilot. I hope to be able to better understand how my plane works so that I can diagnose and solve better as problems arise. Practicing flying in these treacherous conditions will serve to progress my flying abilities much further than in other regions of the United States. Like with many of the rural and remote areas that MAF serves, general aviation in Alaska brings greatly needed resources like medicine, food, doctors, and other supplies. Aviation is also used widely as the only means of transportation. From education and healthcare to just plain visiting your neighbors aviation is vital to Alaska. Another key factor is the financial impact of aviation on the state. Hunters and tourists visit and sightsee, providing jobs to pilots, mechanics, and other services. These reasons all contribute to the importance of general aviation in Alaska. In conclusion, I hope to become a missionary pilot and devote my life to the service of others. Flying has, and will always be a major part of my life and no matter what obstacles come up, I won’t let go of my passion for aviation. My determination and listening skills will be of great importance for serving as a missionary with my husband. In Alaska, we will face great challenges as we prepare for our future in other rural places of the earth!

While the internet increases the odds of more plagiarism and cheating among high school and college students, it also provides memorization tools, research abilities, and note-taking capabilities that encourage honest students to learn quicker and more productively. There are several resources, online and physical, that have helped me to study my various classes over the years. I am a homeschooled high school senior and I have taken a wide variety of classes. From the generic biology and world history to the aviation sciences and biblical literature, each class requires its own study methods. Some examples of the online resources I have used would be online flashcard websites, bibliography citing resources, and various online calculators. Digital highlighters, grammar editing software, and word search functions are a few more of the well-used, yet underappreciated resources. Flashcard websites are particularly helpful to me when I am studying for a flight lesson. Most of the curriculum for my private pilot’s license has been facts rather than intuitive and logic-based expressions. While lessons such as figuring out when it is safe to fly and how to figure out the weight and balance paperwork are also very necessary, to pass a checkride and earn a private pilot’s license, most of the oral questions will be about the pilot’s limitations regarding when, how, where, and with whom they can fly. Flash cards help me to memorize this information quickly and generating them online saves time and energy. Most colleges offer a research library that gives the students access to hundreds or thousands of articles, newspapers, books, and journals with the information that the students need to write proper research papers and summaries. When citing my sources, I find that using an online bibliography resource not only makes the process much quicker, it also helps me to be more responsible about citing my sources. These websites teach the student the proper format of a bibliography and often remind the student to double-check their work to make sure there’s no plagiarism. Though my degree in Aviation Maintenance doesn’t require a lot of English classes or essays to be written, the little things like the ability to use a word or an image search can save a lot of time. Spelling correction can be the difference between a good essay and a great essay, whereas quick repairs can be the difference between a good mechanic and a great mechanic. Being able and allowed to take a picture and search for similar items is by far one of the most handy online resources I use. When digging through a digital manual, searching for a few key words to narrow down the chapter, diagram, or even the page will often save an hour of page flipping to find the right section. These few resources are only a small amount of the online resources I use to study, learn, and understand the subjects that I am studying. Though they may seem small and unimportant, the little things add up to save me a lot of time and effort that I can put towards work or other classes.

When I was young, my grandfather told me stories about flying airplanes. In time, I began to notice the great joy and passion he possessed for aviation. I loved to hear the stories and imagine them in my mind. Years later, I realized that flying means so much more to me than just the joy it brought my grandfather. It is no longer a passion I am bound to because my grandfather loved planes. I now love flying because it is a tool and a means to bring life to others. As a missionary pilot, I can use my pilot’s license to lead a life of courage, service, and life-giving sacrifices. Flying into unknown territories with little to no communication available, reaching the remote areas of wilderness is not an easy feat. Though it will be demanding, this path I’ve chosen will also be highly rewarding. Just knowing that I will get to be a small part of changing the lives of entire communities and tribes with the gospel message will help me to be courageous. I trust that God will protect me and use me where I can work to my fullest capabilities. Through volunteering, I have built up a practice of serving. I desire to continue this practice for as long as I live. We get to mean the world to others just through our love. Community service isn’t a chore but an opportunity to mean the world to someone special. It is a unique way to make connections and bring life to people. Currently, I volunteer in my community at an extended care facility, my church, and in several youth organizations. Working with the unfortunate, the elderly, and the forgotten members of our community is a humbling ordeal. I have had the great privilege of giving them their dignity back and treating them like human beings because that is who they are. Leading a life of service can be very painful and requires making sacrifices. These experiences teach me about living my life fully every day. Currently, my short-term aviation goals are to finish my flight and ground instruction, pass my check-ride, and earn my Private Pilot’s License. My long-term goals are to earn my Airframe and Powerplant License, Commercial Pilot’s License, and several other ratings. More than that, I hope to pass on my love for aviation to my community, and maybe my own children someday. I want aviation to not just be my career or occupation, or a hobby or sport, but to be a part of my life. I used to see flying as a fun activity to talk about with my grandfather, but now I see it as a life-giving ability that I can use someday to give hope and life to others. I have applied and been accepted to LeTourneau University, where I will pursue a bachelor’s in professional flight with an emphasis on aviation maintenance. With this degree, I intend to live a life of service as a missionary pilot. With these goals come financial terrors such as plane rentals, instructor costs, and equipment expenses. Though I have been working to help support my aviation goals, the costs of college, flight instruction, and aviation in general are too high for me to bear alone. My parents have pitched in a lot, but now I am turning to scholarships to help pay for the rest of it. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals in aviation by providing the funds to continue my education.

Nearly everyone has had a mentor who impacted them in their youth. These wonderful heroes teach us about life and what it means to live a full life. We can learn so much from the elderly - not just how we should live our lives, but also how not to live our lives. Now it is our turn to be the heroes. We get to mean the world to others just through our love. Currently, I volunteer in my community at an extended care facility, my church, and in several youth organizations. Working with the unfortunate, the elderly, and the forgotten members of our community is a humbling ordeal. One part of the service work that I participate in is through my local church. When my church hosts a funeral, we host a lunch for the family and I help. Typically this means serving food, washing dishes, and putting away tables and chairs. The kitchen help with sits with the family and shares in their sorrows as the family recounts their stories. Throughout all my volunteering experience, I’ve learned that listening is the best gift I can give to someone. It doesn’t matter if a person is thirsty or hungry, they just need to tell you their story. Another part of my service work is helping in youth programs. I love to play with the children, to laugh and make jokes with them, and to be there to hear their outrageous stories about their day. I help at two children’s programs. AWANA and the Ark. We sit at a little table in little chairs and put together puzzles, make play-doh figures, shape wiki-sticks into ballerinas and cowboys, and put on a puppet show for the kids. Some days I walk into the room feeling tired and worn down but one warm smile from a shy little kid is all it takes to rejuvenate my heart. Hopefully someday, one of these precious children will remember how I cared for them and will be able to spread my love of God on to another child. The third part of my service work is at an extended care facility, the place to which I have devoted most of my time. I have gotten to know each resident, to listen, and talk to them. Some remember better than others, but each one has told me about their past and their life’s ambitions when I spent an afternoon doing one-on-one conversations. I have had the great privilege of giving them their dignity back and treating them like human beings because that is who they are. Volunteer work is very important to me because it has taught me so much about who I am. Community service is not a chore or a task to check off on a list of things to do today. It is an opportunity to mean the world to a child, an old man, or a grieving family. It is a way to make connections and bring life to people. I will always tell that old man that he is more than an old man, he is like a grandfather to me. No greater gift can I give them, than to show up and listen. The hardest part is saying goodbye. These people come and go from my life so quickly. Before I even realize it they’re gone and that is why every hour of service work is valuable.

Volunteering in high school has been the baby steps of leading a life of service. Through volunteering, I have built up a practice of serving. I desire to continue this practice for as long as I live. We get to mean the world to others just through our love. This has completely changed how I see my hobbies, activities, and everyday life. No longer will I seek the betterment of myself, I can use my skills to be a blessing to others. Currently, I volunteer in my community at an extended care facility, my church, and in several youth organizations. Working with the unfortunate, the elderly, and the forgotten members of our community is a humbling ordeal. One part of the service work that I participate in is through my local church. When my church hosts a funeral, we host a lunch for the family and I help. Typically this means serving food, washing dishes, and putting away tables and chairs. The kitchen help with sits with the family and sharing in their sorrows as the family recounts their stories. Throughout my volunteering experience, I’ve learned that listening is the best gift I can give to someone. It doesn’t matter if a person is thirsty or hungry, they just need to tell you their story. Another part of my service work is helping in youth programs. I love to play with the children, to laugh and make jokes with them, and to be there to hear their outrageous stories about their day. I help at two children’s programs, AWANA and Ark. We sit at a little table in little chairs and put together puzzles, make Play-Doh figures, shape wiki-sticks into ballerinas and cowboys, and put on a puppet show for the kids. Some days I walk into the room feeling tired and worn down but one warm smile from a shy little kid is all it takes to rejuvenate my heart. Hopefully someday, one of these precious children will remember how I cared for them and will be able to spread my love of God to another child. The third part of my service work is at an extended care facility, the place to which I have devoted most of my time. I have gotten to know each resident, to listen, and talk to them. Some remember better than others, but each one has told me about their past and their life’s ambitions when I spent an afternoon getting to know them. I have had the great privilege of giving them their dignity back and treating them like human beings because that is who they are. Not only is love kind, but it does not boast and it isn't proud. These two aspects are fundamental to any kind of service work. Community service is not a chore or a task to check off on a list of things to do today. It is an opportunity to mean the world to a child, an old man, or a grieving family. It is a way to make connections and bring life to people. I will always tell that old man that he is more than an old man, he is like a grandfather to me. No greater gift can I give them, than to show up and listen. The hardest part is saying goodbye. These people come and go from my life so quickly. Before I even realize it they’re gone and that is why every hour of service work is valuable.

When I was young, my grandfather told me stories about flying airplanes. In time, I began to notice the great joy and passion he possessed for aviation. I loved to hear the stories and imagine them in my mind. Years later, I realized that flying means so much more to me than just the joy it brought my grandfather. It is no longer a passion I am bound to because my grandfather loved planes. I now love flying because it is a tool and a means to bring life to others. As a missionary pilot, I can use my pilot’s license to lead a life of courage, service, and life-giving sacrifices. Flying into unknown territories with little to no communication available, reaching the remote areas of wilderness is not an easy feat. Though it will be demanding, this path I’ve chosen will also be highly rewarding. Just knowing that I will get to be a small part of changing the lives of entire communities and tribes with the gospel message will help me to be courageous. Maybe I’m just young, but I do feel invincible when I’m flying. I trust that God will protect me and use me where I can work to my fullest capabilities. Through volunteering, I have built up a practice of serving. I desire to continue this practice for as long as I live. We get to mean the world to others just through our love. Community service isn’t a chore but an opportunity to mean the world to someone special. It is a unique way to make connections and bring life to people. Currently, I volunteer in my community at an extended care facility, my church, and in several youth organizations. Working with the unfortunate, the elderly, and the forgotten members of our community is a humbling ordeal. I have had the great privilege of giving them their dignity back and treating them like human beings because that is who they are. Leading a life of service can be very painful and requires making sacrifices. These experiences teach me about living my life fully every day. Currently, my short-term aviation goals are to finish my flight and ground instruction, pass my check-ride, and earn my Private Pilot’s License. My long-term goals are to earn my Airframe and Powerplant Licence, Commercial Pilot’s License, and several other ratings. More than that, I hope to pass on my love for aviation to my community, and maybe my own children someday. I want aviation to not just be my career or occupation, or a hobby or sport, but to be a part of my life. I used to see flying as a fun activity to talk about with my grandfather, but now I see it as a life-giving ability that I can use someday to give hope and life to others. I have applied and been accepted to LeTourneau University, where I will pursue a bachelor’s in professional flight with an emphasis on aviation maintenance. With this degree, I intend to live a life of service as a missionary pilot. With these goals come financial terrors such as plane rentals, instructor costs, and equipment expenses. Though I have been working to help support my aviation goals, the costs of college, flight instruction, and aviation in general are too high for me to bear alone. My parents have pitched in a lot, but now I am turning to scholarships to help pay for the rest of it. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals in aviation by providing the funds to continue my education.

Volunteering in high school has been the baby steps of leading a life of service. Through volunteering, I have built up a practice of serving. I desire to continue this practice for as long as I live. We get to mean the world to others just through our love. This has completely changed how I see my hobbies, activities, and everyday life. No longer will I seek the betterment of myself, I can use my skills to be a blessing to others. Currently, I volunteer in my community at an extended care facility, my church, and in several youth organizations. Working with the unfortunate, the elderly, and the forgotten members of our community is a humbling ordeal. One part of the service work that I participate in is through my local church. When my church hosts a funeral, we host a lunch for the family and I help. Typically this means serving food, washing dishes, and putting away tables and chairs. The kitchen help with sits with the family and sharing in their sorrows as the family recounts their stories. Throughout my volunteering experience, I’ve learned that listening is the best gift I can give to someone. It doesn’t matter if a person is thirsty or hungry, they just need to tell you their story. Another part of my service work is helping in youth programs. I love to play with the children, to laugh and make jokes with them, and to be there to hear their outrageous stories about their day. I help at two children’s programs, AWANA and Ark. We sit at a little table in little chairs and put together puzzles, make Play-Doh figures, shape wiki-sticks into ballerinas and cowboys, and put on a puppet show for the kids. Some days I walk into the room feeling tired and worn down but one warm smile from a shy little kid is all it takes to rejuvenate my heart. Hopefully someday, one of these precious children will remember how I cared for them and will be able to spread my love of God to another child. The third part of my service work is at an extended care facility, the place to which I have devoted most of my time. I have gotten to know each resident, to listen, and talk to them. Some remember better than others, but each one has told me about their past and their life’s ambitions when I spent an afternoon getting to know them. I have had the great privilege of giving them their dignity back and treating them like human beings because that is who they are. Not only is love kind, but it does not boast and it isn't proud. These two aspects are fundamental to any kind of service work. Community service is not a chore or a task to check off on a list of things to do today. It is an opportunity to mean the world to a child, an old man, or a grieving family. It is a way to make connections and bring life to people. I will always tell that old man that he is more than an old man, he is like a grandfather to me. No greater gift can I give them, than to show up and listen. The hardest part is saying goodbye. These people come and go from my life so quickly. Before I even realize it they’re gone and that is why every hour of service work is valuable.

When I was young, my grandfather told me stories about flying airplanes. In time, I began to notice the great joy and passion he possessed for aviation. I loved to hear the stories and imagine them in my mind. Years later, I realized that flying means so much more to me than just the joy it brought my grandfather. It is no longer a passion I am bound to because my grandfather loved planes. I now love flying because it is a tool and a means to bring life to others. As a missionary pilot, I can use my pilot’s license to lead a life of courage, service, and life-giving sacrifices. Flying into unknown territories with little to no communication available, reaching the remote areas of wilderness is not an easy feat. Though it will be demanding, this path I’ve chosen will also be highly rewarding. Just knowing that I will get to be a small part of changing the lives of entire communities and tribes with the gospel message will help me to be courageous. Maybe I’m just young, but I do feel invincible when I’m flying. I trust that God will protect me and use me where I can work to my fullest capabilities. Through volunteering, I have built up a practice of serving. I desire to continue this practice for as long as I live. We get to mean the world to others just through our love. Community service isn’t a chore but an opportunity to mean the world to someone special. It is a unique way to make connections and bring life to people. Currently, I volunteer in my community at an extended care facility, my church, and in several youth organizations. Working with the unfortunate, the elderly, and the forgotten members of our community is a humbling ordeal. I have had the great privilege of giving them their dignity back and treating them like human beings because that is who they are. Leading a life of service can be very painful and requires making sacrifices. These experiences teach me about living my life fully every day. Currently, my short-term aviation goals are to finish my flight and ground instruction, pass my check-ride, and earn my Private Pilot’s License. My long-term goals are to earn my Airframe and Powerplant Licence, Commercial Pilot’s License, and several other ratings. More than that, I hope to pass on my love for aviation to my community, and maybe my own children someday. I want aviation to not just be my career or occupation, or a hobby or sport, but to be a part of my life. I used to see flying as a fun activity to talk about with my grandfather, but now I see it as a life-giving ability that I can use someday to give hope and life to others. I have applied and been accepted to LeTourneau University, where I will pursue a bachelor’s in professional flight with an emphasis on aviation maintenance. With this degree, I intend to live a life of service as a missionary pilot. With these goals come financial terrors such as plane rentals, instructor costs, and equipment expenses. Though I have been working to help support my aviation goals, the costs of college, flight instruction, and aviation in general are too high for me to bear alone. My parents have pitched in a lot, but now I am turning to scholarships to help pay for the rest of it. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals in aviation by providing the funds to continue my education.