(L-R) Wesley DeHoyos, Heather Heidinger, Erik Skjerseth, Hayley Miller, Trevor Sipe, Mike, Blake Plattner, Nick Szlufik, Scott Marquardt, Robert Williams and Gustavo Carvajal-Duran

(Email from Wes):
Dear Mike,
I would like to thank you once again for choosing me as one of this year's scholarship recipients. Your contributions have greatly helped me finish my flight training and will continue to help as I work towards my career goals. SIU aviation is very fortunate to have someone like you to help students further their education and flight training. I really hope that someday I will be able to give back to the SIU aviation community like you have. Thanks to your generosity, the goals and dreams that many of us have are now one step closer to being a reality.

Sincerely,
Wes DeHoyos

(Email from Trevor):
Dear Mike,
I can not say thank you enough for helping my financial condition tremendously these past two years. It is a great honor to be chosen as a scholarship winner again. Your kindness has helped relieve some of the stresses of how I'm going to pay for my training. Now I have the chance to stay at school this summer and finish up most of my flight training working to become a CFI. You are helping me towards one of the most important things in a persons life, a college education.

Thanks Again!
Trevor Sipe

(Email from NICOLAI):
Dear Mike,
Thank you for choosing me as a recipient of your scholarship! By awarding scholarships to students that show motivation, hard work and dedication to their passion of aviation, you give those students hope and push them to continue to work hard and look forward. Mike, I truly appreciate the time you took to get to know me as a person, acknowledge my work and understand my craziness for aviation when considering me for this scholarship. Aviation students at Southern Illinois University are extremely fortunate to have such a caring alumnus willing to aid in paying for expensive flight training and education fees. I will always remember that it was with the aid of caring and generous people like you that aided me in achieving my goal, to become a successful professional pilot. Once again, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
NICOLAI T. SZLUFIK

(Email from Robert):
Dear Mike,
Thank you so much for choosing me as one of your scholarship recipients. Your generosity stands out and is amazing in my eyes. One of the biggest accomplishments in my life will surely be finishing my education and training here at SIUC and thanks to your contribution I will be one step closer to realizing and achieving this. Our students here at SIUC are fortunate to have dedicated alums such as yourself. I appreciate everything you stand for and I thank you for your help and your caring attitude.

Sincerely,
Robert Williams

(Email from Scott):
Mike,
Once again, your generosity stands out. The amazing part is that you are able to help so many students every year. I feel very privileged to be one of those students. This scholarship will complete the funding needed for me to get my multi-engine rating. The opportunities that you provide are part of what makes SIUC such a great school to train at. My sincere thanks go to you and your family.

Respectfully,
Scott Marquardt

(Email from Erik):
Dear Mike,
Thank you for the opportunity to receive a scholarship this year. Your work really shines and your dedication to the SIUC Aviation program really shines. I hope one day I can give back like you have given back. This scholarship will also enable myself to give back to my future students by investing further as a Flight Instructor by earning my CFII. Thank you once again for all that you do. You are a true hero.

Sincerely,
Erik Skjerseth

(Email from Blake):
Dear Mike,
I would like to say thank you for your generosity in awarding me with a 2008 scholarship. This scholarship will be put to great use in my completion of the SIU Aviation Flight Program. You are truly a person with a giving heart and someone who others and myself can look up to in being successful. The SIU Aviation Program is very fortunate to have an alumnist such as yourself.

Sincerely,
Blake Plattner

(Email from Heather):
Dear Mike,
I just wanted to say thank you to you and your family for awarding me a scholarship this year. I can not express to you how grateful I am. This scholarship will help me get my CFI rating so that I too can help give back to the next generation of pilots. I really appreciate all that you have done and continue to do for the SIUC Aviation Flight program!

Thank you again!
Heather Heidinger

(Email from Gustavo):
Dear Mike,
I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Mike for his admirable generosity and also to all the members and readers of aviationinterviews.com. Without the support from the members, these scholarships would not be available to us. I feel extremely fortunate to be a 2008 scholarship recipient and hope to one day pass it on to others. This scholarship will help me begin my CFI course next semester!

Thank You!
R.Gustavo Carvajal-Duran