A Mountain Home High School graduate is making rapid progress toward a career in aviation, thanks in part to local scholarship support.
Drew Dickinson, a recipient of the Leading Edge Aviation Foundation’s graduate scholarship program, completed his first semester at Ozarka College with what foundation Secretary Gerald Gaige called “outstanding results” as he works toward his private pilot license.
Dickinson is using his scholarship funds to cover travel expenses to campus and purchase necessary aviation materials including maps and piloting gear needed to complete his coursework. He requested the scholarship be funded in two installments as each semester is successfully concluded.
“From these results, I suspect he will be applying to compete for a second-year award soon,” Gaige said.
Dickinson received one of the Jay Chafin State Farm Aviation Scholarships, funded by donors Jay Chafin and Glen Dabney, during the May scholarship ceremony. After completing his private pilot license, he plans to pursue commercial and instrument ratings and his flight instructor certificate next year.
He joins fellow LEAF scholarship recipients Emalyn Stephens, who earned her private pilot certificate at Ozarka College this spring and is now working on her instrument rating, and Justin Rula, who is studying industrial engineering at the University of Oklahoma while participating in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program.
Program expansion
The foundation has expanded its reach in recent months, adding the Aviation STEM Studies program to Mountain Home Christian Academy. With that addition, all schools in Mountain Home now have students learning about aviation careers and pathways into the industry.
“We have already hosted the entire 5th grade class for a morning learning experience field trip to the airport for the MHCA Eagles, and we expect to hear more from all their grade levels going forward,” Gaige said.
This spring will mark another milestone as the first group of students completes the entire three-year Aviation STEM Studies program at Mountain Home High School. The program, taught by Doug Meurer, has grown significantly since its inception, with enrollment more than doubling to approach its capacity of 150 students.
Gaige said these developments will double the demand for aviation scholarship awards as more students graduate from the program with serious interest in aviation and aerospace careers.
Scholarship applications open
The foundation is currently gathering funds for its 2026 summer “Aviation STEM Learning Experience” scholarships for students in grades 9 through 11. Winners will be announced next month.
The experience scholarships, worth up to $2,500 each, send students to summer aviation learning programs including the National Flight Academy in Pensacola, Florida, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, and other institutions.
Since 2022, LEAF has awarded both experience scholarships for summer camps and graduate scholarships for students pursuing higher education in aviation fields. The foundation tracks its scholarship recipients as they progress through their studies.
The foundation provides $7,500 annually in experience awards and has steadily increased its graduate scholarship offerings. In 2025, the foundation invested $15,000 in six students through both scholarship programs.
Beyond scholarships, LEAF provides free aviation books and magazines to school libraries, access to the LEAF Aviation Learning Center at the airport, flight simulators for classroom instruction, and internship opportunities at Baxter County Airport.
The foundation accepts donations to support its mission to “educate, encourage and motivate those interested in aviation who might otherwise be excluded.” Contributions can be sent to Leading Edge Aviation Foundation, 6462 AR-126, Midway, AR 72651. For information, call 870-481-5418.
Christopher Fulton is an award-winning investigative journalist and U.S. Navy veteran living in Arkansas. Fulton graduated from the University of Memphis in 2020 summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. After seeing a void in Mountain Home’s local news market, he founded the Mountain Home Observer and currently serves as the online newspaper’s publisher and news reporter.