Congratulations to the 2008 CABAA Scholarship Winners!
CABAA and the CABAA Education Foundation are proud to premier our new web-site with the winning faces of our 2008 Scholarship Recipients. If you participated in or financially supported last month's Annual CABAA Golf Classic you helped to make these eight $2500 scholarship awards possible.
Our winners from past years have moved into significant and active roles within the business aviation communities. Congratulations to this year's winners! We will look forward to watching you succeed.
Note: CABAA welcomes aviation students to all of our monthly events. For more information on how to register as a student please contact
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Dan Forgey was born February 08, 1972 in Normal, IL. He is the eldest of 5 children and comes from a family of professional agriculturists. Dan’s childhood was filled with Sunday afternoons in church and working the cornfields with his father. Dan obtained the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 15.
Dan completed a 2 year stint in the Navy, sailing to the Mediterranean. When Dan was discharged from the Navy he began his first experience with Aviation. This was during his employment with Signature Flight Support at KPIE. Dan fell in love with Aviation and then continued his education with the focus on Aviation Administration.
Dan obtained an Associates Degree from Oklahoma City Community College. Dan then continued on to Lewis University where he is ready to graduate with a double major in Aviation Administration and Aviation Security. Dan holds a GPA of 3.9 and will continue his education even further after graduation. He will continue on to Northwestern University where he will focus on obtaining his MBA and MS in Transportation. Dan has recently finished an ATC internship in Anchorage, Alaska.
Currently, Dan is an active church member and continues to practice his faith. One of Dan’s greatest accomplishments is overcoming Alcoholism at an early age. Dan is a wonderful example of overcoming your weaknesses and excelling at your strengths.
Heather Heidinger is a Senior at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale majoring in Aviation Management / Flight and Aviation Technologies. Heather is from Pawnee, IL. At SIU she is involved in many student organizations. She is the Vice President of Women In Aviation and Career Fair Coordinator for Aviation Management Society as well as a member of Aviation Ambassadors. Heather is currently working on her commercial certificate and is planning on finishing her multi-engine certificate at the end of the fall semester. She then plans on getting her CFI and flight instructing at SIUC. Heather also hopes to move into the airline industry. She also aspires to someday be involved with the commercial space flight industry.
Elizabeth Hoover is a senior at Lewis University in Romeoville, where she is majoring in Aviation Administration with minors in both Business Administration and Dispatch. As a youngster, encouraged by her father, Beth attended a Young Eagles Rally where she first discovered airplanes and aviation. She subsequently earned her private certificate. In addition to flying, Beth likes to spend her time playing sports, going Hot Air Ballooning, and spending time with friends. She has been active with Civil Air Patrol since 2002. Beth is planning on a career in Airport Administration, specializing in Operations. She is currently working as an intern at Chicago Executive Airport.
Jesus Juarez was born in Mexico in a little town called San Pedro Zictepec. He is the oldest of four brothers. Since he was a little kid he has always been fascinated with airplanes. He told his parents that one day he would become a pilot. He studied Kinder Garden, Elementary and, Junior High in a town called San Juan Xochiaca. Jesus was not at an excellent student or bad. He studied his first year of High School in Mexico. He had had decided to study Architecture because he could not find any school related to aviation close to him, He thought he would not achieve his dream. After his first year in High School in Mexico his father decided to bring all his family to the US. Mr. Abel Juarez had been living in the US for nineteen years.
Jesus’ dad used to visit him and his family only two to three times every year, but in summer of 2005 Jesus’ life gave a 360° turn. He came to the US for the very first time. His first year of High School in the US for Jesus was very hard because of the language. He had never interacted with anybody whose English was his first language. It was very hard to learn English for him, but he did not give up. He worked harder every day to learn his new language.
Now that Jesus was in the US he realized that his dream of becoming a pilot could be possible. One day his High School made a career trip to Waukegan airport and he decided to go. On that trip he met professional pilots that told him that he could make his dream possible. After that trip Jesus started to look for scholarships on the Internet. He saw one very interesting called CABAA, with the help of his English teacher, Mrs. Marconi, he sent the application. After months without response Jesus had forgotten about it, but one day he got a call from the CABAA Scholarship Committee. It was the greatest thing he had ever heard, that call was to let him know that he was one of the winners of the CABAA scholarship. Jesus felt very proud of himself. Now he is going to achieve his dream of being a pilot thanks to CABAA.
Once Natalie Kasak graduated from York High School in Elmhurst, she spent the next two years studying at both the College of DuPage and North Central College in Naperville. During these two years, she was uncertain as to her career path. However, after being exposed to the Aviation Program offered at Lewis University, she was instantly excited over the possibility of becoming a pilot. In January of 2008, Natalie enrolled at Lewis as a double major in Aviation Flight Management and Aviation Administration and could not be happier about her decision.
She recently earned her private pilot license and is now working on becoming instrument rated and hopes to continue all the way through Lewis' program to become a flight instructor. She has lived all her life in Elmhurst and has only been out of the country once, because of this she is anxious to see what life, as a professional pilot will bring!
James Koschmann is an aviation flight technology student at Purdue University. His passion for flying developed at a young age, as he watched airliners flying over his home in Hanover Park, Illinois, on their way to O’Hare International Airport. He graduated from Glenbard North High School in spring 2005 and began his formal flight training at Purdue University that fall. After earning his private pilot certificate his freshman year, he went on to earn his commercial and flight instructing certificates, as well as his instrument and multi-engine ratings. James has had a unique opportunity this summer to fly for news radio 780 as a traffic observation pilot. Now entering his final year at Purdue, James is excited to continue his job as a flight instructor and expand his aviation knowledge in his senior courses. After completing school, James hopes to continue his aviation career by flying for a regional airline.
Outside of flying, James enjoys playing his trumpet in the Purdue University marching band and attending the football games. In his spare time, he enjoys running, riding his bike, playing intramural sports, and reading. Over the summer, James is a summer camp director at his church in which he organizes and leads the camp operations.
Scott Marquardt is a senior at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, where he is enrolled in the Aviation Flight and Aviation Technology programs. Originally from southern Wisconsin, his 'Midwestern work ethic' speaks for itself. Over the past two years he has achieved his Commercial certificate, Instrument rating, CFI certificate, and multiple endorsements. His love for aviation is documented though his involvement in the SIU Aerobatic team, the AOPA, the EAA, their Young Eagles program, the Rotor and Wing Assoc. of America, and his eventual achievement of an Airframe and Powerplant certificate. Scott's career goals include piloting corporate aircraft, bridging the gap between pilots and mechanics, and making a positive impact on the aviation discipline. Every aspect of flight is Scott's passion, and he hopes to be recognized as an upcoming player in the future of aviation.
Born in Manila, Philippines in 1982, Karlo Rivera migrated to the United States at the age of fifteen. Attended State University of New York (SUNY) – Westchester and have had the opportunity to work as a peer tutor of College Physics and Calculus. He enlisted with the military December of 2001, shortly after the 9/11 incident. He received an honorable discharge from serving six active duty years, as an aircraft electrician with the U.S. Army. He’s currently with the reserves serving the remainder of his contract and at the same time majoring in flight management with Lewis University. He did well enough to make it with the dean’s list and at the moment pursuing private pilot’s license throughout the course of summer.
He also work part time as a dietary prep aide with ManorCare (a local retirement home) and have had the privilege to work with young aviation enthusiasts in the very first Aviation Summer Camp held at Lewis University. His training with Lewis together with his exposure to the civilian side of aviation has brought forth the drive that motivated him to search for more ways to contribute to this great industry. He believes that with the rough times ahead, aviation will somehow manage to get through and that it’s up to their generation of aviators, to take on that challenge.
