Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial, Inc.

Left: Rudy R. Miller, Chairman of the Advisory Board and Fellowship Committee, TB2Center: Olivia Sparks, Aviation Scholarship Recipient Right: Steve Ziomek, President and Chairman, TB2

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, December 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial, Inc. (“TB2”) announced that it has awarded the TB2 Aviation Fellowship to Arizona State University (“ASU”), Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, student Olivia Sparks. TB2 is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving aviation history in Scottsdale, Ariz., Honoring all military veterans, supporting Dogs4Vets, a service organization dedicated to empowering veterans Disabled fighters live more productive lives through the use of service animals, and create unique educational opportunities for Arizona students studying all aspects of aviation.

Ms. Sparks is majoring in Air Transport Management, with a minor in Business and is working towards a Certificate in International Trade. With the aviation industry slowing down during Covid, Olivia added a minor in business to learn additional skills to use in aviation management. Along with her studies and maintaining a strong GPA, she also holds two jobs.

Marc O’Brien, Chair of the Aviation Management Technology Program, Chief Ground Instructor and Lecturer, ASU, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, said: “The ASU Aviation Program is proud to announce that Olivia Sparks is the 2021 recipient of the Thunderbird Memorial Scholarship award. Olivia is in her first year at ASU pursuing a concentration in Air Transport Management with a minor in Business. Olivia is an excellent student who balances full-time classes with a work schedule that supports her studies. She is a member of ASU’s Women In Aviation Club and participates in a variety of volunteer activities. “

Steve Ziomek, President and Chairman of TB2, said, “By definition Olivia is a perfect recipient of the TB2 scholarship. His ability to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.4 in the Air Transport Management program, while holding multiple jobs and participating in more than one internship is unmatched. We are proud to offer this scholarship to a well deserved student and a good person at all levels.

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Rudy R. Miller, Chairman of the TB2 Advisory Board and Fellowship Committee, said, “It is with great pleasure that I welcome Olivia to our selective and growing group of TB2 Fellowship recipients. I was extremely impressed with my recent interview with her. She shared that she spent last summer (3 months) as a full-time Flight Crew Scheduler employee for a regional airline, which gave her important practical insight into airline operations. Miller continued, “Olivia is currently looking to combine her aviation education and business skills, which provides her with broader career opportunities, from airlines to municipal airports. As a former CEO of an airline with a business background, I’m sure she will have multiple job opportunities! “

About Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial, Inc.

Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit founded in 2014 and based in Scottsdale, Arizona. During World War II, an airfield named Thunderbird Field II was built for the sole purpose of training US Army Air Corps pilots in 1942. Thunderbird Field II has graduated more than 5,500 pilots, both male and female, many of whom participated in military actions in Europe and the Pacific. The land and school were deactivated on October 16, 1944, sold to Arizona State Teachers College (ASU), then to the Arizona Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and finally to the city of Scottsdale in 1966 and is now known as Scottsdale Airport (KSDL).

The Aviation Scholarship Program offers scholarships to Arizona resident students, veterans and non-alumni, who meet specific criteria and attend Arizona State University, Aeronautical University Embry -Riddle, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Cochise College, Pima Community College or Yavapai College. TB2 has a permanent memorial at the entrance to Scottsdale Airport and a historical display inside the facility honoring the service of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces as well as prisoners of war-MIA. For more information, please visit www.tbird2.org.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available on https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/52096456-7705-4da3-8798-77983581809b