Penn College Aviation Student Awarded Industry Scholarship
Published 03.04.2008
A Pennsylvania College of Technology senior is one of only five students worldwide selected to receivethis year'sBill Sanderson Aviation Maintenance Technician Scholarship from Helicopter Association International's Technical Committee.
Gregory B. Gilliland, of Franklin, a senior in the college's School of Transportation Technology, received the first-place scholarship and was awarded a tuition waiver (worth $3,200) for a Eurocopter factory school and a $1,600 stipend toward expenses along with a one-year HAI membership and registration waiver for the 2008 Heli-Expo held Feb. 24-26 in Houston.
He was joined at the Expo by fellow seniors Wesley C. Miller, of Reading; and Jason C. Hawbaker and William F. Stepp IV, both of South Williamsport. The students who were accompanied by William F. Stepp III, associate professor of aviation participated in manufacturer technical briefings, a mentor session and a job fair.
Gilliland was employed as an intern at CJ Systems in Pittsburgh in Summer 2007, working on helicopters used by Emergency Medical Systems. (He since has become a part-time employee with the company, now owned by Air Methods Inc.) He is the fourth Penn College student to be honored by HAI in the past five years: Miller won last year; Jason M. Smith, of Hillsgrove, was a 2006 recipient; Kirk T. Beres, of Osceola Mills, was awarded a scholarship in 2004.
For more information about aviation maintenance technology or other majors in the School of Transportation Technology, visit online or call (570) 327-4516. For general information about Penn College, visit on the Web , e-mail or call toll-free (800) 367-9222.