The Chris A. Hawks Memorial Scholarship serves to commemorate the life of Chris Hawks, a former University of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute flight student. After graduation, Chris had planned to pursue a career in aviation as a commercial corporate pilot. The purpose of this scholarship is to assist a student or students pursuing a career(s) as a commercial pilot(s).
Students meeting the following criteria shall be eligible for this scholarship:
- Candidates shall be an undergraduate pursuing a degree in Aviation at the Aviation Institute, College of Public Affairs & Community Service, University of Nebraska at Omaha.
- Cumulative 2.5 or higher GPA.
- Candidates must have communicated a desire to pursue a career as a commercial pilot following graduation from the University of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute.
- Candidates shall be enrolled in flight training and submit a resume of their accomplishments.
- Candidates must be enrolled in the current semester at UNO, AND the Summer or Fall semesters.
About Chris A. Hawks
Chris A. Hawks is the oldest son of Thomas A. and HuLaine Hawks and has one younger brother, Jeff. He grew up in the rural Bruning, Nebraska area and graduated from Bruning High School in 1993. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona from August 1993 to May 1994. He transferred to the University of Nebraska at Omaha in January 1995.
He was scheduled to graduate in December 1999 but was killed in a farm accident on October 22, 1999, at the age of 24. He was awarded his Bachelor’s degree posthumously in December 1999. After graduation, he intended to pursue a career in aviation as a commercial corporate pilot. His flight certificates included: FAA 2nd Class Medical, Instrument Airplane, Single and Multi-Engine Land, Commercial Pilot and High Altitude Rating.
Chris loved the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, golfing and skiing with friends and family, but his greatest love was flying. He would never pass up an opportunity to fly. He acquired flight time and experience flying on business trips with his dad for Metal-Tech Partners and his uncle for Tenaska, Inc. and also enjoyed just taking his friends for a ride.
Chris made friends easily. No matter what he was doing, he always seemed to make time to help his friends and stayed in close contact. He was the best friend a person could have. In August 2002, a group of Chris's friends organized the 1st Annual Chris Hawks Memorial Golf Tournament. This became an opportunity to reunite his friends and family to celebrate his life. Funds raised at this tournament along with memorial gifts were used to establish an aviation scholarship at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
He and his family visited the SAC Museum when he was 11 years old—he was hooked—he wanted to be a pilot. His great grandma Carrie often asked him, "Are you still going to be one of those aviators?” He would answer ye,s and she would just shake her head. He did become a pilot and was a very good one. With the establishment of this scholarship in Chris’s memory, it is the family's hope that other aviation students will be able to achieve their goal to become a pilot.
