Diego's journey into aviation began with the daily symphony of aircraft passing over his childhood home and annual family trips to Costa Rica. These early experiences planted the seeds of a passion that would eventually chart the course of his future.
"I grew up with planes flying over my house all the time, and with my yearly flights to Costa Rica to visit family, I soon began to fall in love with aviation," Diego shared. His father played a pivotal role in nurturing this budding interest, taking him to airport viewing areas whenever requested—even during pre-dawn hours to witness spectacular sunrises alongside arriving aircraft.
Diego's connection with EAA Chapter 1229 began when chapter 1229 member, Mike Schoen, gave him a Young Eagles flight for his 12th birthday. This introductory flight experience sparked a deeper involvement with our chapter despite the considerable commute from Northeast Minneapolis to South St. Paul. He quickly became a familiar face at chapter meetings and a helpful hand at community events, including mixing pancake batter at our popular breakfast fundraisers.
His dedication and enthusiasm for aviation culminated in his selection as our chapter's 2024 Ray Aviation Scholar, a distinction that has significantly accelerated his flight training journey.
"To be a Ray Aviation Scholar means having determination and dedication to flight training," Diego explains. Balancing high school academics, sports, and flight lessons has been challenging, but the scholarship has made quality training at a respected Twin Cities flight school far more accessible financially.
Looking ahead, Diego has set his sights on a professional aviation career. This fall, he'll begin studying Commercial Aviation at the University of North Dakota with aspirations of becoming an airline pilot. The head start provided by EAA's Ray Aviation Scholarship program and the ongoing support from our EAA chapter community have been instrumental in helping him navigate toward these ambitious goals.
Diego's story exemplifies the mission of the Ray Aviation Scholarship program—identifying passionate young aviators and providing them with the resources and community support to transform their aviation dreams into reality.
