Friends of Fernandina Beach Aviation awards first Joshua Barber Memorial Scholarship

Friends of Fernandina Aviation
Press Release
Contact: Roger Ridings
[email protected]
May 5, 2021

From left to right: Elizabeth Springer, Mark Avakian, Vice President FoFA, Kolby Kidd

Friends of Fernandina Aviation (FoFA) awarded their first Joshua Barber Memorial Scholarship to Fernandina Beach High School seniors Elizabeth Springer and Kolby Kidd. The scholarship will be used to assist with the students’ further education. Elizabeth plans to attend Jacksonville University and enroll in the Aviation & Aeronautics Program focusing on the Commercial Pilot Track. Kolby will attend Virginia Tech where he plans to study computer engineering and participate in the wrestling program. In recognizing the scholarship winners, FoFA Vice President and Scholarship Chairman Mark Avakian stated “FoFA did not intend to award two scholarships but these two students were exceptional and represented the qualities we were looking for.”
Josh Barber was a 16-year-old student at Fernandina Beach High School who passed away in November 2020 from Loey-Dietz Syndrome, a severe connective tissue disorder. To honor Josh’s life and his fighting spirit, The Joshua Barber Memorial Scholarship will award a $1,000 scholarship to selected seniors enrolled in the FBHS Aviation Technology Program. Josh loved aviation and was enrolled in the Aviation Technology program. His goal was to study aeronautical engineering and become a pilot.
For more information on the scholarship program and/or organizations or individuals interested in becoming a funding partner for this scholarship should contact FoFA Vice President, Mark Avakian, at [email protected] or FoFA President, Roger Ridings, [email protected] 678-234-9082.
FoFA is a 501(c)3 non-profit community service organization dedicated to promoting the importance of aviation in the community through volunteer-staffed programs, such as aviation education, orientation, and training; youth scholarships; community outreach; and cooperative efforts with other non-profits.

 

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Joanna Murphy
Joanna Murphy (@guest_60984)
2 years ago

Congratulations Elizabeth and Kolby! Best of luck in your future studies.