The West Virginia Airport Managers Association is proud to announce six students were first year recipients of the Shawn Stewart and Shawn Tucker Memorial Scholarship. The students were invited to the scholarship awards ceremony July 31, 2023, at Canaan Valley Resort while attending the WV Aviation Hall of Fame dinner at the annual WV Aviation Conference.
Shawn Tucker, P.E., and Shawn Stewart, P.E, were both employed as Civil Engineers by Chapman Technical Group of St. Albans and Buckhannon, West Virginia.
Shawn Tucker was born in Philippi, West Virginia, and attended Grafton High School and Fairmont State University where he obtained his associate and bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering technology. He and his wife, Adrienne, became the parents of three children, Madelyn, Brooks and Molly. He was employed as a Civil Engineer by Chapman Technical Group in May 2003 and was the General Manager of the Buckhannon office and was the principal Airport Design and Construction Project Manager. Shawn passed away in 2019 at the age of 37 after a 10-month battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). He loved being an airport engineer and was proud of his work. Shawn was actively involved in the Buckhannon community – especially youth sporting programs – and touched countless lives through his leadership, passion and many contributions.
Shawn Stewart was born in Ireland, West Virginia, and attended Lewis County High School, Glenville State College – earning a degree in Administrative Science – and Fairmont State College where he obtained his associate and bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering. He and his wife, Tonya, became the parents of a son, Zane. Shawn was the Assistant General Manager of Chapman’s Buckhannon office and was an experienced professional Airport Engineer who was responsible for two award-winning projects. The first involved a complex pavement design at the Raleigh County Memorial Airport in Beckley, WV, and the second was a pile and lagging retaining wall at the Mercer County Airport in Bluefield, WV. One of his greatest accomplishments as an airport engineer was the design and project management of the Appalachian Regional Airport. Shawn died tragically in a turkey hunting accident in 2009 at the age of 32, leaving his wife and 9-month-old son. Shawn lived by a simple code, centered around family, respect and good deeds. He lived his life with a degree of professionalism and common sense that went well beyond his years. He was respected by his peers and clients alike. Shawn was also an accomplished bass fisherman and hunter.
This Scholarship Program was developed to honor the lives of Shawn Stewart and Shawn Tucker. It is designed to provide financial assistance to students who demonstrate financial need in the pursuit of a career in the aviation industry at an accredited institution of the student’s choice.
The 2023 Shawn Stewart and Shawn Tucker Memorial Scholarship recipients are:
- Caden Ball, Marshall University – Commercial Pilot: Fixed Wing BS
- Alec Calloway, Fairmont State University – Aviation
- Cole Cogar, West Virginia University – Civil Engineering
- Noah Hobson, Fairmont State University – Aviation-Professional Flight/Pilot Training
- McKinzie Quintrell, Marshall University – BS, Professional Pilot, Aviation Science
- Kristen Sayre, Marshall University – Professional Pilot, College of Science
Applications for the 2024 program are due by March 31, 2024. For application forms and program information, email: info@wvama.org
The WV Airport Managers Association is an association of airports, aviation professionals, and partners that support the aviation, aerospace, and airport industry in West Virginia. Find more information here: https://www.wvama.org/
