EAA Announces Harrison Ford Scholarship Recipients

February 19, 2015 - An Oshkosh high school senior has been named recipient of a $7,500 Harrison Ford Flight Training Scholarship administered by EAA. Jordan Paulson, 18, plans to attend the University of North Dakota in the fall to study aviation management with the goal of being a commercial pilot. The Harrison Ford Scholarship is funded by Angela and Jim Thompson to help young people achieve their dreams of flight.

Along with Paulson, six other students will receive $1,500 scholarships, including Cole Hooper, Wheaton, Illinois; Joseph Schimnich, Sauk Rapids, Minnesota; Keegan Sponholz, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Henry Vaughan, Sugarland, Texas; Jack Verstegen, Middleton, Wisconsin; and James Wright III, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Paulson, EAA 1083097, served as an intern at EAA in 2014 and also was the youngest person hired to refuel airplanes by Orion Flight Services during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013. He’s currently an intern at the Outagamie County Airport.

“The Harrison Ford Scholarship will allow me to experience aviation full force,” Paulson wrote in his required application essay. “Also it will allow me to share aviation with those around me, in particular my father who hasn’t flown an aircraft since he had his license back in 1976.”

Harrison Ford served as EAA’s Young Eagles chairman from 2004 to 2009 and made many contributions to the general aviation community. By funding this endowment, the Thompsons have created an enduring legacy of Harrison’s contribution to youth and general aviation.

“Many people have told me that the sky’s the limit for your dreams and aspirations,” Paulson added. “To which I like responding, ‘That is exactly where I plan on taking them.’”

For more information on all EAA scholarships, please visit the EAA website.