Sara E. Brumbaugh of Kenova, W.Va., a Marshall University Yeager Scholar, is the first recipient of the Colonel Aaron C-Dot George Scholarship, established by the Marshall University Foundation in memory of the former United States Air Force test pilot.
Brumbaugh is a graduate of Spring Valley High School and is pursuing her education in biomedical science and mathematics.
Col. George was an adventurous person who knew and respected (Ret.) Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, the first pilot to break the sound barrier and a Lincoln County, W.Va., native. As a fighter test pilot, Col. George helped push the boundaries of manned flight to improve the performance and safety of U.S. fighter pilots.
“The Honors College is very grateful for the financial support that this scholarship will provide a Yeager Scholar,” said Dr. Ronald J. Bieniek, dean of the Honors College. “It is a wonderful way of honoring the legacy of Colonel George and contributions to aviation development at the edge of possibility.”
The scholarship will cover the benefits available to Yeager Scholars, which includes tuition, fees, room and board, books, foreign travel and supplies.
A George Scholarship recipient will be a full-time, undergraduate student who has been named a Yeager Scholar. The Yeager Scholars are selected through a rigorous screening process. The dean of the Honors College and the Society of Yeager Scholars board of directors will be charged with selecting the students and renewing the award, in cooperation with the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
