EAA/Daher 2017 international scholarship recipients attend AirVenture Oshkosh

The two EAA/Daher International Scholarship recipients for 2017 are attending EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this week, as the trans-Atlantic internship program marks its 11th year of providing hands-on knowledge of the aviation industry.
 
Participating at the aviation fly-in event as the final phase of their seven-week internship experience are Michelle Peterson of Madison, Wisconsin; and Nathaniel Graham of Centennial, Colorado.
 
As in previous years, Peterson and Graham served as interns during five weeks at Daher’s Tarbes facility in southwestern France, followed by a week at the EAA Air Academy in Oshkosh where they are assisting Daher during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017. All travel, lodging and work experience is covered, along with a side trip to the Airbus production and headquarters facility in Toulouse, France.
 
“This opportunity gives a one-of-a-kind experience for the scholarship recipients,” said Nicolas Chabbert, Daher’s Airplane Business Unit Senior Vice President, and CEO of the U.S.-based SOCATA North America subsidiary. “By interacting with our teams in France and gaining expertise in their fields of interest, we hope it will make a difference in their future careers – while also benefitting our company by working with the next-generation of aviation industry decision-makers.”
 
Peterson has just completed her third year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health, and also holds a private pilot license. She wants to eventually use her aviation and global health backgrounds by flying to underserved regions of the country and providing needed health services. Peterson is a former EAA Young Eagle and has volunteered previously at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
 
Graham spent two years studying aerospace engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and is now seeking opportunities to pursue a career in humanitarian aid and service through aviation. He has been an EAA Young Eagles volunteer and was a leader of the Aviation Explorer Post that is sponsored by the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver.
 
“Daher’s commitment provides an incentive, a challenge to EAA Young Eagles and an opportunity for them to explore a variety of career directions within the aviation field first hand, to see what the future holds,” said Dave Chalmson, EAA’s Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. “For a student, nothing is more important. The cultural exchange, the educational opportunities, and the impact on their lives are tremendous.”