Published in Midwest Flyer – December 2018/January 2019 issue
Since 2015, Academy College, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, has donated an Aircraft Dispatcher Course to the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Schedulers & Dispatch Scholarship Program. The scholarship provides the recipient with all the necessary knowledge and practical experience to become an FAA Certificated Aircraft Dispatcher.
This year’s recipient is Cody Solma of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After graduating from high school, Cody attended the University of Omaha to pursue a degree in Aviation. He also secured an aviation internship with an engineering firm in Omaha. It was this internship that gave Cody the interest and exposure to the world of aircraft dispatching. “I have always had a passion for flying airplanes and the aviation industry,” Cody explained, “and I believed dispatching would be the next best thing.”
Working at the engineering firm also allowed Cody to learn about the NBAA scholarship to attend Academy College.
“Academy College has been a wonderful experience for me,” Cody reflected. “Although it has been the most challenging educational goal to date, it’s well worth it. The instructors, administrators, and staff have been there supporting me every step of the way. The best part of attending Academy College is the [small] instructor-to-student ratio, and how any one of [the instructors] will go out of his/her way to help the students succeed.”
In addition to the Aircraft Dispatcher program, Academy College offers degrees in Commercial Aviation (BS), Commercial Pilot (AAS), and Aviation Business (AAS). Academy College was founded in 1936.
For additional information, call Academy College at 952-851-0066 or email scholarship@academycollege.edu (www.academycollege.edu).