Two Students Earn EAA/DAHER-SOCATA Scholarships

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — (April 22, 2014) — Grace Huseth of Tucker, Ga., and Michael Keck of Oshkosh, Wis., will receive the work internships of a lifetime, as they have been named recipients of this year’s EAA/DAHER-SOCATA International Scholarships.

The internship program is now in its eighth year. Each recipient receives a five-week internship at DAHER-SOCATA’s Tarbes facility in France, located in the shadow of the Pyrenees Mountains, followed by a week to the EAA Air Academy in Oshkosh where they’ll help Socata during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014. All travel, lodging, and work experience is included, as well as a side trip to the Airbus facility at Toulouse. For an aspiring student working toward a career in the aviation industry, it’s a dream situation.

“This opportunity gives a one-of-a-kind experience for the internship recipients,” said Nicolas Chabbert, President and CEO of SOCATA North America. “They will spend time with our team in France, gaining expertise in their fields of interest – such as marketing, production, organization, design, support and service. We hope the experience will make a difference in their future careers, while also benefitting our company by working with the next-generation of aviation industry decision-makers.”

While DAHER-SOCATA is currently providing American students a chance to study abroad, the company has encouraged EAA to find companies in the U.S. willing to share such an experience with young people from other parts of the world. For instance, the two interns will have the opportunity to interact with Socata employees as part of a unique cultural exchange.

“DAHER-SOCATA’s commitment provides an incentive, a challenge to EAA Young Eagles, an opportunity for them to explore a variety of career directions within the aviation field first hand, to see what the future holds,” said Dave Chaimson, EAA’s vice president of business development. “For a student, nothing is more important. The cultural exchange, the educational opportunities, and the impact on their lives are tremendous.”

Huseth is a senior at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga., majoring in communication arts. Her career goal is to support the aviation industry through communications within an aviation company or as an aviation business reporter.

Keck is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., majoring in engineering mechanics. He already holds a private pilot certificate and teaches aviation theory to fellow college students. He has a career goal of becoming an aerospace engineer, with a special affection for design and computation.

About DAHER-SOCATA

One of the world’s leading general aviation manufacturers with more than 17,000 aircraft built since its creation as Morane-Saulnier in 1911, including the Very Fast Turboprop TBM 900, DAHER-SOCATA forms the aerospace branch of the DAHER Group, European integrated equipment and services supplier.  In addition to aerospace, DAHER specializes in three other sectors: nuclear, defense and industries, and developing in three fields of expertise: manufacturing, services and transport, which enable it to offer a comprehensive package.

About EAA

EAA embodies the spirit of aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 185,000 members and 1,000 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAAupdate.