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For Mountain Home High School student Tyler Webb, this summer was one to remember. Instead of staying close to home, Webb traveled to the National Flight Academy, where he spent time in flight simulators and learned the fundamentals of aviation.
That opportunity came through a scholarship from the Leading Edge Aviation Foundation. Webb was one of three Bomber underclassmen to receive support for a summer program in 2025.
“I want to thank you for allowing me to attend the National Flight Academy this summer,” Webb wrote in a note to the foundation. “It was an amazing experience that gave me a deeper understanding of aviation and where it can take me in the future.”
His letter was shared this week with the foundation’s board and supporters, who were also reminded of the larger impact scholarships have had on Mountain Home students.
“As you know, that award is one of four types of scholarships we work to provide, led by our Leading Edge Aviation Foundation career scholarships for ‘Bomber’ graduates of Mountain Home High School,” wrote Gerald Gaige, a spokesperson for the foundation.
“This year, three Bomber undergraduates benefitted from this summer scholarship type, while three other 2025 graduates joined our previous years’ award winners in university level studies.”
Gaige congratulated board members and donors for making that possible. “Congratulations, ladies… and gentlemen – on these significant successes to make such a positive impact on the lives of Mountain Home young people,” he wrote.
In his note, Gaige also emphasized the need to continue building on that progress.
“There is more to do: The Bomber Aviation STEM Studies curriculum at MHHS has tripled from its first year in 2023 – and other students in Baxter, Marion and surrounding counties need the opportunity to be aware of aviation/aerospace industry careers open to them,” he wrote. “With continued effort – and support from our community donors we can expand these positive results many times over.”
The foundation has focused much of its attention on Mountain Home High School, where the Bomber Aviation STEM Studies program has grown rapidly since it began two years ago. The curriculum is designed to give students hands-on exposure to aviation and aerospace fields, helping prepare them for careers or higher education in the industry.
For students like Webb, the scholarships are more than just financial aid. They provide access to experiences that spark interest and give teenagers a first look at where aviation can take them. His thank-you note underscored that impact, while Gaige’s message reinforced the importance of sustaining community support to reach even more students.
Christopher Fulton is an award-winning investigative journalist and U.S. Navy veteran living in Arkansas. Fulton graduated from the University of Memphis in 2020 summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. After seeing a void in Mountain Home’s local news market, he founded the Mountain Home Observer and currently serves as the online newspaper’s publisher and news reporter.
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