LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation

The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation is a United States national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2002 in memory of First Officer LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Homer was the co-pilot of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, during the September 11, 2001 attacks. The foundation was founded by his wife, Melodie Homer, and is based in Marlton, New Jersey. Its central purpose is to encourage young adults with an interest in aviation and help them progress toward professional flight careers. The foundation does this primarily through annual aviation scholarships. Awards are made through an application process, with applications accepted each year from November 1 through January 31. A scholarship committee composed of foundation board members reviews applications, and selected recipients are expected to complete their flight training during the year in which the award is received. The program is focused on the initial pathway to aviation: recipients are supported in pursuing flight instruction leading to a private pilot certificate. The organization operates on an all-volunteer basis. This structure is intended to direct donated funds toward scholarship and program activity rather than paid staffing. Its board has consisted of six people drawn from aviators, LeRoy Homer’s friends and family, and other volunteers. Soledad O’Brien and Emily Warner have served as honorary board members. The foundation’s reported results describe a scholarship program that combines flight training with broader educational and career development. As of December 5, 2020, it reported awarding and funding 25 scholarships, with every recipient having obtained a private pilot certificate. It also reported that all recipients had either completed or were pursuing a college education. Seventeen had graduated from four-year programs in areas including aeronautical engineering, aeronautical science, aviation, flight technology, aviation business, cybersecurity, and cyber engineering, while eight were still completing undergraduate study at that point. Recipients had also pursued advanced ratings and credentials such as instrument, complex, commercial single- and multi-engine, airline transport pilot, and certified flight instructor qualifications. The foundation’s alumni outcomes include military and commercial aviation. The reported cohort included graduates of the United States Naval Academy and United States Air Force Academy, as well as students completing Air Force Academy studies. Alumni were described as flying military aircraft such as the F/A-18, C-135, C-17, and F-15, and commercial aircraft including the MD-11, MD-88, and Boeing 737. The organization also reported that 40 percent of recipients were women, 64 percent were minorities, 40 percent were or had been professional pilots, and 40 percent were or had been military aviators as of the 2020 measurement date. The foundation is therefore best understood not as a commercial product brand but as an aviation-focused educational and scholarship organization. Its identity is built around remembrance, volunteer stewardship, access to flight training, and the development of future civilian and military aviation professionals.

The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation was created in 2002 by Melodie Homer, the wife of First Officer LeRoy W. Homer Jr. The foundation commemorates Homer, who served as co-pilot of United Airlines Flight 93 and died when the aircraft crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001. Rather than functioning as a memorial organization alone, the foundation translated that legacy into an aviation education mission: encouraging young adults to pursue flying and helping them obtain the training needed to begin aviation careers. The foundation’s main program is an annual scholarship for young adults interested in aviation. Applicants apply during a window running from November 1 through January 31. Board members serving on a scholarship committee review applications and select recipients. The award is designed to support flight instruction leading to a private pilot certificate, and recipients are expected to complete their flight training within the same year. The organization is headquartered in Marlton, New Jersey, and operates nationally in the United States. It is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is run entirely by volunteers. The volunteer model allows the foundation to apply donated funds to its scholarship and educational activities. Its board has been described as comprising six individuals who are aviators, friends or family members of LeRoy Homer, or volunteers. Soledad O’Brien and Emily Warner have served as honorary board members. The foundation’s reported program record demonstrates progression beyond initial flight training. By December 5, 2020, it had awarded and funded 25 scholarships, and all 25 recipients had obtained private pilot certificates. Every recipient had completed or was pursuing a college education. Seventeen had graduated from four-year programs in aviation-related or technical fields, while eight were still completing undergraduate degrees. Reported fields included aeronautical engineering, aeronautical science, aviation, flight technology, aviation business, cybersecurity, and cyber engineering. Many recipients continued to advanced aviation qualifications, including instrument, complex, commercial single-engine and multi-engine, airline transport pilot, and certified flight instructor ratings. The foundation reported that its alumni entered both military and civilian aviation. The cohort included graduates of the United States Naval Academy and United States Air Force Academy, current Air Force Academy students, military aviators operating F/A-18, C-135, C-17, and F-15 aircraft, and airline pilots flying MD-11, MD-88, and Boeing 737 aircraft. The same 2020 indicators reported that 40 percent of recipients were women and 64 percent were minorities. Forty percent were or had been professional pilots, and 40 percent were or had been military aviators. These figures present the foundation as a small but targeted pipeline program: it provides initial access to flight training while encouraging recipients to pursue higher education, advanced ratings, military aviation, and professional pilot careers. Publicly available reference material does not provide a complete chronology of individual board appointments, annual award amounts, later scholarship totals, or a detailed record of campaigns and organizational decisions.

• 2020

  Twenty-five scholarships reported

  [1]LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  As of December 5, 2020, the foundation reported that 25 scholarships had been awarded and funded and that every recipient had obtained a private pilot certificate.

• 2002

  Foundation established

  [1]LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Melodie Homer founded the organization in memory of LeRoy W. Homer Jr. and created its aviation scholarship mission.

A volunteer-led aviation education foundation that connects remembrance of LeRoy W. Homer Jr. with practical financial support for aspiring pilots and aviation students.

• Scholarship program · 2002

  Annual Aviation Scholarships

  The foundation’s principal offering is an annual scholarship for young adults who want to pursue aviation. Applications are accepted from November 1 through January 31 and are reviewed by a committee of foundation board members. Selected recipients are expected to complete flight training during the award year, with the immediate objective of earning a private pilot certificate. The program also supports a longer educational pathway in which recipients may pursue university study, advanced flight ratings, military aviation, or professional airline careers.

1. 1LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation official websiteleroywhomerjr.org