The MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2026 Dreams Take Flight scholarships, which support Greater Lansing-area high school juniors and seniors by helping make flight time more accessible and affordable for students pursuing an aviation career.
The 2026 recipients are Ethan Charlot, a senior at Mason High School, and Brayden Thorne, a senior at Grand Ledge High School. The program provides each student with a $5,000 scholarship.
“The Dreams Take Flight Scholarship significantly helped me obtain my private pilot license and beyond, enabling my passion to reach the sky,” said Charlot.
“The Dreams Take Flight Scholarship has had a meaningful impact on my future in aviation,” said Thorne. “This support represents more than financial assistance; it is a vote of confidence in my ability to contribute to and shape the future of the aviation industry.”
The scholarship is provided in partnership with the Eaton Regional Education Service Agency and the Capital Region International Airport. High school juniors and seniors who plan to attend or are currently attending the Aviation Careers Institute, Crosswinds Aviation, or another flight school partner to pursue their pilot’s license were eligible to apply.
“With pilot demand at a near-record level, this scholarship lessens the steep cost of entry, clearing a path for the next generation of aviation talent to take flight,” said Rebecca Surian, Executive Director of the MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation.
For more details on the program, or to make a tax-deductible contribution to the scholarship fund, visit deskdrawerfoundation.org/dreamstakeflight.