JJR Marketing and Fig Factor Media CEO and College of DuPage alumna Jacqueline S. Ruiz proudly announces her creation of the new Jacqueline Ruiz PILOTINA Aviation Scholarship that will benefit College of DuPage (COD) students pursuing an Aviation Management Associate in Applied Science degree.
NAPERVILLE, Ill., Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- JJR Marketing and Fig Factor Media CEO and College of DuPage alumna Jacqueline S. Ruiz proudly announces her creation of the new Jacqueline Ruiz PILOTINA Aviation Scholarship that will benefit College of DuPage (COD) students pursuing an Aviation Management Associate in Applied Science degree.
The $5,000 scholarship, the first one dedicated specifically to this COD program, will be given annually as a $1,000 scholarship. The first award will be presented to a student in the spring 2025 semester.
To qualify, students must be 18 to 30 years old, have a GPA of 3.0 and above, and study a field related to aviation. Applicants must be currently enrolled in the college's Aviation Management Program and must submit a one-page essay describing their educational and career goals and why they chose aviation.
While accepting the 2024 Adade Wheeler Women of Distinction Award, presented by the College's Women's Studies Committee, Ruiz highlighted this special scholarship. The award, established in 1983 in honor of former COD History Professor Adade Wheeler, recognizes individuals—whether residents, employees, or volunteers—within Community College District 502 who have made significant contributions to advancing women personally and professionally through education, advocacy, and inspiration.
Ruiz explained that the idea for a scholarship came when she accepted the college's Distinguished Alumni of the Year in 2023. During the celebration, she learned about a new aviation program scheduled to be launched in 2024. The program automatically piqued Ruiz's interest.
Ruiz's passion for aviation knows no bounds. She is one of the few Latina sports pilots in the United States. Additionally, she is also the founder of the Latinas in Aviation global brand which is responsible for the "Latinas in Aviation" book series which presents uplifting and inspirational stories of Hispanic women who actively work in the field. She also recently collaborated with College Park Aviation Museum in College Park, Maryland to create the historic first-ever Latinas in Aviation exhibit. A second one is planned to make its debut at the Kansas Aviation Museum in March 2025.
"I love aviation which has changed my life and I also love College of DuPage because it has given me the tremendous support and resources that I needed to create to start my business and be successful," she said. "I wanted to partake in history with the activities that I have done surrounding aviation such as presenting events featuring our many 'Latinas in Aviation' authors and coordinating the historic Latinas in Aviation Global Festival which just won an Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History. When I connected with the college about this scholarship, representatives told me that I would be the first one to create it. When I heard that, my heart just started beating faster with excitement and I knew that I had to make this happen."
Julieann Tuohy, the college's coordinator of Alumni Engagement and Giving, assisted Ruiz in the scholarship's creation.
"We are thrilled to have Jackie's scholarship support for our Aviation Program, which is especially meaningful coming from an alum. Her contribution will pave the way for aspiring pilots in the new program," Tuohy said.
For information about the scholarship, contact Anne Farnum, coordinator, Advancement Scholarship & Lead Gifts, at [email protected].
About Jacqueline S. Ruiz:
Jacqueline Ruiz is a visionary social entrepreneur who has created an enterprise of inspiration. With more than 20 years of experience in the marketing and Public Relations industry, she has created two successful award-winning companies, established two nonprofit organizations, published 33 books, the largest collection of Latina stories in a book anthology series in the world, and held events in four continents. She has received over 30 awards for her contributions and business acumen. She represents the 1.6% of women entrepreneurs with over seven figures in the United States. Jacqueline is one of the few Latina sports airplane pilots in the United States and recently collaborated with College Park Aviation Museum to create the historic first-ever exhibit in the world to honor Latinas in Aviation. For more information, visit https://jackiecamacho.com/.
Media Contact
Marie Lazzara, JJR Marketing, 630-400-3361, [email protected], https://jjrmarketing.com/
SOURCE JJR Marketing
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