Sherm Booen Legacy Scholarship Winners Announced

Established in 2016 to celebrate Academy College in Bloomington's 80th anniversary, the Sherm Booen Legacy Scholarship provides two, $5,000 awards to two aviation degree seeking students pursuing a professional pilot career.

This year's recipients are Robert Ezike and McKenna Gordon. Ezike is pursuing the Bachelor of Science Degree in Commercial Aviation at Academy College. He is passionate about introducing the aviation industry to younger individuals, particularly women and minorities, through leadership and mentorship, including helping them understand that their dream in this field is very much achievable.

Gordon is a soon-to-be first generation college graduate and plans on completing her Bachelor of Science in Commercial Aviation at Academy College, with flight training at Thunderbird Aviation. She aspires to enlighten future aviators through flight instruction prior to representing the airline sector of aviation. McKenna finds importance in giving back, and intends on continuing volunteer opportunities where-ever her aviation career may lead her.

Recipients of the Sherm Booen Legacy Scholarship are selected by the Academy College Scholarship Committee. Students must submit a 1,000-word minimum essay on the history of Sherm Booen and the impact he had on aviation in Minnesota. Scholarship prospects must show demonstrated community involvement and complete an in-person interview with the scholarship committee.

Booen was one of Minnesota's greatest spokespersons for general aviation. He earned his broadcast license in 1934 and worked at KWTN in South Dakota and KATE in Albert Lea. In 1940 Booen learned to fly and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps where he trained aircrews in the operation of the C-1 autopilot in B-17 and B-24 bombers used during World War II.

As a Marine in Korea, Booen was an air traffic controller. He also served in Tokyo as the Operations Officer of the Armed Forces Radio - Far East Command. In 1953 he produced a television program on WCCO-TV called "World of Aviation" which ran for 28 years. In addition to his television work, Booen published the Minnesota Flyer with the help of wife, Mavis, and daughter, Boni. He was inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2002. Booen flew a 1938 Taylorcraft and then his Beechcraft Bonanza (N758B) for 20 years; he flew until age 90 and earned the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.