Lowndes County Schools:

Cadet Spencer Ruepp, an 11th grade Air Force Junior ROTC (AFJROTC) student at Lowndes High School has received a scholarship to attend one of six partnering universities participating in a private pilot license training program over the summer of 2018.

Cadet Ruepp is one of 120 AFJROTC cadets around the world to receive the scholarship from Headquarters AFJROTC, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.  There are more than 120,000 high school students enrolled in AFJROTC at over 880 high schools in the U.S. and overseas.

The scholarship for Cadet Ruepp will cover transportation, room and board, academics, and flight hours required to potentially earn a private pilot license.  The scholarship is valued at approximately $20,000.

The Flight Academy Scholarship Program is a new Air Force-level initiative in collaboration with the commercial aviation industry to address the national civilian and military pilot shortage.  AFJROTC has been charged by the Air Force Aircrew Crisis Task Force to bring back the “luster of aviation” to high school students and increase diversity in aviation fields.

Those participating in the program do not incur a military commitment to the Air Force or other branch of service, nor does completing the program guarantee acceptance into one of the military’s commissioning programs.

The mission of AFJROTC is to develop citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community while instilling values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and sense of accomplishment.  When looking to fill tomorrow’s career needs with the best candidates, there is simply no better place for the nation to look than AFJROTC!