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GRAND FORKS – Ali Moses was only 14 when she joined the Thompson (N.D.) Fire Department as a volunteer – following in the footsteps of her father.
After graduating from Thompson High School in spring 2022, she joined the North Dakota Army National Guard that December, again, inspired by her dad Chad Moses of Thompson and grandfather David Stevens of Grand Forks, who both also served in the U.S. Army.
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It’s a path that has led to a life of community service and fueled her dream of piloting a medevac (medical evacuation) helicopter some day.
And, on Thursday, Dec. 5, for Moses, a junior majoring in commercial aviation at UND, that dream got a big boost when she was surprised by visitors in Dean Robert Kraus’ office at the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences.
Moses was presented with a Veterans and Military Services Scholarship from Sanford Health, one of four given each year to veterans, Guard or Reserve members or active-duty military members who have demonstrated leadership and commitment to their country. The scholarship honors those who have enriched the lives of others, especially in service, academic and community involvement.
“Oh, my gosh,” she said, as Jesse Leraas, of Sanford Health in Fargo, presented her with a large, cardboard check for $5,000. “Thank you so much for the opportunity.”
“I’m surprised; this is so awesome,” she said. “This is so cool.”
“This is an amazing scholarship to get,” she said. “It means so much to me – especially the amount, and coming from Sanford … ,” because she has set her sights on working as a medevac helicopter pilot for Sanford Health in the future.
“I am so honored that (they wanted) to surprise me like this,” she said after the presentation. “The Thompson Fire Department is my second family and this (UND Aerospace) is my third family. I feel so blessed.”
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Moses said she had submitted her scholarship application some time ago and had forgotten about it. She cited Mike Humble, assistant professor of aviation, for his help in preparing the application and submitting a letter of recommendation.
For a student to receive “a scholarship of this magnitude is definitely special,” Kraus said. Many scholarships range from $500 to $1,000, he said, and students are always eager to seek scholarships to offset the cost of training.
Wes Van Del, chief helicopter instructor for UND Aerospace, said Moses is “a bit of a star student,” due in part to her involvement in the North Dakota Army National Guard and the Thompson Fire Department.
She is also active in a helicopter association student group, Kraus said, and has excelled “academically and flight-wise.”
Moses is among a dozen students who serve as ambassadors for the aerospace school. They are prospective students’ first contact with the school, answering questions and giving tours. They represent the school at recruiting and other aerospace-related events around the country, Kraus said.
“We receive a lot of applications at Sanford for the Veterans and Military Scholarship,” said Leraas, head of library services for Sanford Health, estimating they total between 60 and 70. “Yours rose above the rest.”
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Her application “embodies a lot of the values Sanford looks for” when considering potential recipients, he said. “She has an outstanding GFP (grade point average), she’s an ambassador for her program, she has three part-time jobs, and she is with the North Dakota Guard. …
“She is the embodiment of a citizen soldier.”
Criteria for selecting scholarship recipients rest heavily on evidence of community service and leadership, Leraas said. Created in 2018, the scholarship is awarded as part of the Sanford Health System’s efforts to serve veterans and military personnel through patient care, employment opportunities and community outreach.
The applicant must be a veteran, Guard or Reserve or active-duty military service member and a full-time student pursuing a community college or vocational, bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree from an accredited U.S.-based institution of higher education. The applicant must also have at least one full year of education remaining.
UND Aerospace and Sanford officials had planned to surprise Moses with the check presentation Tuesday, Dec. 3, but that was scuttled when she was called to a barn structure fire in Manvel, North Dakota.
That event was only the latest in Moses’ firefighting experience. As a military police member with the North Dakota Army National Guard, she took a week off from school in October to help fight fires in northwestern North Dakota.
The wildland firefighting work was a new experience with the Army, Moses said. “(The fires) were big,” she recalled. “It was fun.”
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Receiving the scholarship from Sanford Health is especially significant, Moses said, because it will help her acquire more quickly the hours of flight instruction necessary to achieve her commercial rating as an aircraft pilot and then move on to pay for hours needed to become a certified flight instructor. Beyond that, she will work to become certified in instrument flight instruction.
“Any sort of funds are an immense help.”
After graduating and earning the necessary certifications, she intends to become a flight instructor for UND Aerospace and fly helicopters for the North Dakota Army National Guard. As a pilot, she will help with the Guard’s search-and-rescue missions out of Fargo, Kraus said, and transport troops, especially short distances.
In her future career, Moses will be filling an important role with the Guard, which relies on helicopter pilots to move troops to the field, he said. “It’s what the Army does.”
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