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Mercer Aviation Students Receive Scholarships Through Annual Golf Outing

By Candace Zafirellis
Five Mercer County Community College (MCCC) Aviation Flight Technology students received scholarships at the 9th Annual Friends of Trenton Mercer Airport Golf Outing and Scholarship Awards Dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the Mountain View Public Golf Course in Ewing.   
Recipients of the “Sky’s the Limit” scholarships are presented to students currently enrolled in MCCC’s Aviation Flight Technology program who are selected based on need and academic excellence.  The scholarships were created by the Friends of Trenton Mercer Airport to offset the high cost of pilot training.
This year’s MCCC recipients are John Tarquino of Piscataway, Christopher Moyers of Levittown, PA, Michael Monaghan of Old Bridge, Richard Wilson of Sewell, and Gifty Sannie of East Windsor.  Each was awarded a $4,800 scholarship.   
In addition, Mercer alumnus and program instructor Fred Alvarez of Somerset was awarded the King Air Training Award, giving him the opportunity to take King Air 200 pilot training at La Guardia Airport.
According to Wolcott Blair, the King Air pilot training is valued at $10,000.  Blair, general manager of Ronson Aviation, a Ross Aviation company, is the main organizer of the annual Golf Outing. 
Scholarship donors included Signature Aviation, Gulfstream Aviation, Sunnyfield Aviation, Alfred J. Tria Jr. M.D., Covington Financial, and C&S Engineers, Inc., as well as many other aviation suppliers and tenants of Mercer County Airport.
The event, which boasted 88 golfers this year, was organized by the Friends of Trenton Mercer Airport, a group that was formed to support local students pursuing careers in aviation through its scholarship program. This year the event raised $21,000 that will benefit next year’s recipients.  In total, the golf outing has brought in more than $100,000 in grants for aviation students since it began in 2004.