Seven high school students from across Grant County and Elwood Indiana received thousands of dollars in scholarship money at the Grant Regional Career Center Aviation Academy today.
“It means I’m taking a step farther in my career in aviation,” said Karson Morrical, a junior at Mississinewa High School. “It’s a great opportunity for me to get a chunk of my flight training paid for.”
There were high bars the students had to reach to receive scholarships. They had to have quality professional writing in their application essays, have 100% in the course to receive top honors, and show initiative and aptitude in class preparation and engagement.
“This aviation program, I believe, is one of eight in the state available to students at this age,” said Mark Hobbs, the student community specialist for GRCC.
Whitney Gall, a senior at Eastbrook, received top honors for her work in the aviation program.
“I feel like it’s really taught me how to kind of operate more like a professional setting,” said Gall. “I know Mr. Johnson does a really good job trying to, like, prepare us for the workplace and for college and kind of take stuff to the next level.
What started in 2023 with $14,800 has grown to $27,500 in a few years.
“It’s just really donor involvement. We’ve had donors step up in a major way to help make this happen,” said Mark Johnson, the Aviation Program coordinator. “It can’t happen on its own, it’s got to be through donor involvement.”
The Boren Foundation, founded in 1982, had a representative at the scholarship ceremony.
A few years ago, Johnson had sent an application for funds to help the aviation program.
“I think we denied it, but once we got to learn more about the program and how it was helping the kids and area kids, as far as learning about aviation and it’s something that they want to pursue, we decided to get involved,” said Sally Briner, the executive director of the Boren Foundation

But what do the parents think about all of this? April and Chuck Morrical, the parents of Karson were in attendance at the ceremony.
Karson Morrical was 16 when he first flew a plane and got his license a few months after that.
“It’s really cool to see that he’s doing something that he really likes, and, you know, working toward a career that he’s gonna love,” said April Morrical.
Nathan McNeely said Mark Johnson has done a great job of bringing people together and being able to support the program that provides their students with networking opportunities and experiences they wouldn’t have without the program.