Northwest Aerospace News August | September Issue No. 10 | Page 62

Impacting Bright Young Minds
The scholarship fund has supported stu-
dents of all ages and backgrounds to
purse aerospace-related endeavors. This
has enabled significant achievements in-
cluding workforce re-entry, completion
of degrees in aerospace engineering and
management, training of aircraft mainte-
nance technicians, transitions from other
manufacturing fields into aviation and
completion of air traffic control school.
PNAA has taken the time to catch up with
several of them and the conversations
strengthen the team’s resolve on continu-
ing with the scholarship mission.
One such student is Darren Hutchinson,
a single father who is studying engineer-
ing technology (manufacturing and ma-
terial science) at Edmonds Community
College. His primary motivation is to
learn new technologies like 3D printing,
composites and robotics; following his
graduation he wants to work as a man-
ufacturing manager. He comments that
the scholarship award, “will allow me to
balance my life between being a single
parent taking care of my two sons ages
six and 10 and my school work.”
Veteran Brenna Smith, studying aviation
maintenance at Clover Park Technical
College, has also benefited from the pro-
gram, advising that, “This scholarship
will help me be able to pay for some of
my FAA tests, and has helped me in get-
ting some of the books and tools needed
for class. It will definitely ease some of
the financial stress so I can focus on my
studies and not worry about paying for
upcoming tests.”
Feedback from many of the students af-
fected by the scholarship program has
revealed that the program has provided
much needed financial relief, with less
time worrying and more time studying,
as well as being a source of inspiration
to follow their dreams. When receiving
a regular paycheck, it’s easy to forget the
struggles we all faced as students – but a
small donation from industry really does
change lives.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
Brenna Smith
Impact on the Company
During the last decade over 30 companies have made a big impact, with a
modest investment and support for the workforce of the future, through PNAA’s
Scholarship Program. Donors receive public acknowledgement at PNAA’s
annual awards dinner, in addition to recognition at the annual conference and on
PNAA’s website and social media. However, it is fair to say that the recognition
is at the bottom of the list when it comes to reasons for donating – it’s the impact
of changing lives that matters. “It’s an honor for LMI Aerospace to support the
PNAA Scholarship Program and make a difference to the hardworking student
recipients pursuing engineering and aerospace-related studies,” says Amy Hor-
ton, director of corporate communications for LMI Aerospace, a company that
has supported the program from the very beginning and has been a Gold Sponsor
for the last seven years.