SF Student Success Stories - Andrew Fessenden

 
Current Career – “I am currently employed by the Hawaii Air National Guard as an F-15 pilot.  I was initially hired by the Mass ANG in 2000 but transferred to the Hawaii ANG in 2007 and am now 3 months away from my class date for the F-22 TX course. Our job in the HIANG is two fold.  We are always ready to deploy with our active duty brethren but we also play an integral part in homeland security.  We always have two pilots on alert status ready to scramble 24 hours a day, every day of the year. 
 
I was a recipient of an SETP scholarship while attending UCSD and am eternally grateful for your generosity. Although my college experience did not include an aviation focus, the scholarship helped me continue my schooling that ended up steering me back to aviation.  It was very important for me at that point in my life to continue with my college education, a financial and emotional challenge that the SETP scholarship helped my family overcome.
 
I have since been fortunate to attend USAF pilot training and have spent over 8 years flying the F-15 in the Guard.  I have enjoyed opportunities to train in Iceland, Singapore, and Thailand,  have flown into various airshows including Oshkosh, and have been a part of many fly-bys.  I am now only months away from my F-22 Raptor training date, the very plane in which our friend Tom Morganfeld flew numerous test flights many years ago. 
 
Being a traditional guardsmen, I will begin my search in the near future for a full-time career in aviation and look to apply to Fed Ex if given the opportunity.  Although i never anticipated following my father to a career in aviation, surprisingly I've taken a very similar path.  Thank you all for your wisdom in setting up such a scholarship program for young people in need.  I am very grateful to have been a recipient of your generosity.”