The winner of the Heath Aviation, LLC 2023 Pilot Scholarship Program essay contest has been officially announced.

Bianca Duncan, a local First Preparatory Christian Academy student, rose to the challenge and claimed her victory with her essay, “A Series of ‘Unsoloable’ Events.” In her essay, Duncan expresses her deep, long-time passion for flying, her personal experiences as a current student pilot, and the trials she has gone through attempting to complete her first solo flight on her way to achieving her private pilot certificate.

As the winner of the $1,500 scholarship award, Duncan is entitled to use the funding toward additional flight lessons from her choice of one of the three local flight schools operating out of MidCoast Regional Airport.

The annual contest ran from March 25 to April 15and was open to all Liberty County residents, ages 16 and up, attending high school and/or college in Liberty or surrounding counties. Young aviation enthusiasts searching to actualize their dream were tasked with writing a 1,000-word essay explaining how they became interested in aviation, what their future goals in the aviation industry are, and what advice they would give their peers on why they should consider joining the aviation industry.