Three students in the Daphne High School AFJROTC program will be soaring to new heights this summer after they were selected to receive scholarships to attend an accredited flight training program.

Landon Ward, Arthur Zamprogno and Grace Godwin were chosen to receive three of the 171 coveted scholarships and were chosen from a pool of over 1,100 cadets from around the country.

"The cadets will attend an accredited private pilot license training program during the summer of 2024, at aviation universities across the nation," said Doug Goodlin, program director and retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Air Force. "The total scholarship is valued at over $26,500 and includes transportation, room, board, daily academics and flying lessons."

According to Goodlin, the scholarship program is a part of the Air Force's initiative in collaboration with the commercial aviation industry to address a national military and civilian pilot shortage.

Goodlin also said that the summer program will last eight weeks, and participating students will earn their private pilot's license and a college transcript after completing the program. After returning from the program with their private pilot's license, the students will also be eligible for monthly flying practice.

"The Flight Academy challenges these young leaders while simultaneously having an extraordinarily positive impact on participants," Goodlin said. "They do not incur a military commitment to the Air Force or other branch of service, and completing the program doesn't guarantee acceptance into one of the military's commissioning programs. However, the Flight Academy does reinforce the core teachings of AFJROTC; developing citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community, while instilling values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment."

Goodlin said all three participating students are currently enrolled in his Honors Ground School class at the high school, where they have been learning about flight throughout the past semester.

"These cadets have excelled in this class, learning all aspects of aviation, from ground training, aerodynamics, communications and weather and navigation," Goodlin said. "I have been impressed with this whole class and their passion for learning about flying. There are more than 120,000 high school students enrolled in AFJROTC at almost 875 high schools in the United States and overseas. The Flight Academy is for those who truly and literally want to soar."