April 9, 2020 – Scottsdale, AZ
Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial, Inc. (“TB2”) announced it has awarded an Aviation Scholarship to Dewayne Brown, a Yavapai College student pursuing two Associate of Applied Science degrees, one in Aerospace Science – Unmanned Aircraft Systems and one in Management. He is scheduled to graduate in May 2020. TB2 is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving the history of aviation in Scottsdale, Arizona, honoring all military veterans and creating unique educational opportunities for Arizona students studying all aspects of aviation.
Prior to enrolling at Yavapai College, Dewayne Brown was honorably discharged as Staff Sergeant, Stryker Systems Maintainer, after serving in the United States Army for over 13 years. While on active duty, Dewayne was deployed to Korea, Germany and 3 tours in Iraq.
Mr. Brown has been able to maintain above a 3.7 GPA along with working at Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe as a Lead Security employee. He is currently a private rotor drone pilot and upon graduation, he plans to become a part of the Yavapai College UAS program as a part-time instructor teaching and training drone pilots. His objective is to obtain his FAA Commercial Part 107 Drone Pilot Certification and ultimately start his own security company including flying both fixed wing and rotor drones.
Steve Ziomek, Chairman and President of TB2, stated, “This award to Dewayne Brown, a UAV (drone) pilot, further illustrates TB2’s commitment to providing scholarships to Arizona students interested in all aspects of aviation, be it pilots, mechanics, avionics technicians, air traffic control and more. We will continue to work with Arizona education institutions to select the brightest and most deserving students and help them further their journey into aviation careers.”
Rudy R. Miller, Chairman of TB2’s Advisory Board and Scholarship Committee, remarked, “We are extremely proud of our selection of Dewayne Brown, the 3rd TB2 Aviation Scholarship awardee over the past 6 months. He is also the first community college student to receive this honor and joins a growing group of exceptional TB2 scholarship winners. The Scholarship Committee will select a minimum of 4 additional aviation scholarship recipients this fall, 2020.”
Mr. Miller continued, “I would like to thank all of the participating colleges and their related foundations for their assistance in making this program so successful. Plus, I want to express my gratitude to all the individuals, veterans and companies for their financial support of our organization’s mission.”
Ashley Hust, Yavapai College Foundation, commented, “This award goes further at a community college than people may think, covering close to an entire year’s expenses for a deserving veteran. We’re pleased that Dewayne is the first Yavapai College recipient of the Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial Aviation Scholarship. He’s worked hard during his time here and we’re certain he’ll put his aviation education to good use.”
Dewayne Brown received TB2’s award, sponsored by Prestige Cleaners and represented by Chairman of the Board, Donn C. Frye and CEO, Denise Testori. The Donn Frye family and Prestige Cleaners were one of the initial major donors and have continued to support TB2 over the past 5 years.
Prestige Cleaners, with seven valley locations, is a family-owned, local dry cleaning company. Serving the Valley of the Sun since 1964, Prestige Cleaners delivers exceptional eco-friendly dry cleaning, laundry, tailoring & alterations, and wedding dress & heirloom preservation. For more information, please visit www.prestigecleaners.com
About Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial, Inc.
Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. During World War II, an airfield named Thunderbird Field II was built for the sole purpose of training U.S. Army Air Corps pilots in 1942. Thunderbird Field II graduated over 5,500 men and women pilots of who many saw military action in Europe and the Pacific. The field 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 (SDL).
The Aviation Scholarship Program provides scholarships to veteran and non-veteran Arizona resident students who meet specific criteria and are attending Arizona State University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Cochise College, Pima Community College or Yavapai College. TB2 has a permanent memorial at the entrance of the Scottsdale Airport, honoring the service men and women of the nation's five armed services: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force, as well as POW-MIAs. For more information, please visit www.tbird2.org.
