Aviation Scholarship winner takes flight, earns pilot license

Earlier this spring, one mother took the tragedy of losing her son and turned it into an opportunity for someone to soar.

Julie Bouchard lost her son Taegge Lee in 2021. Her and her family took the loss and turned it into something positive for an aspiring pilot to take flight, setting up the 2023 Taegge Lee Memorial Aviation Scholarship.

“Taegge loved to fly,” says Bouchard. “His father has been flying since the 1980’s, and he and his brother started a flight school in Talkeetna, and now Missy Lee, Taegge’s cousin, owns and runs it, and she came up with this idea for a scholarship.”

Alaska Floats and Skis @ AK8, a flight school in Talkeetna owned by Missy Lee, provided the donation for the scholarship.

“The hope is that we keep on Taegge's memory in the most positive way possible and help young people to find their passion and have the opportunity to explore it,” she said at the time.

The scholarship was structured to allow the winner access to private pilot ground school and supplementary materials, 30 hours of ground instruction from a Certified Flight Instructor, 50 hours of flight instruction/solo flight time & private pilot check ride. There is also an FAA Medical Examination, and a private pilot FAA written exam Fee included.

The scholarship was open to high school students in the Talkeetna and Trapper Creek area, and Bouchard, who was also part of the selection committee, had to select from 5 applicants.

“They had to answer questions about their plans, their future goals, what would they do with the opportunity. And while they were great, Caymen’s was just outstanding!”

Bouchard is talking about Caymen Kingery of Talkeetna, who was awarded the scholarship.

“I can’t say enough good things about him. He already works at an air service during his summer breaks, talks to the pilots, spends his lunch hour asking about flying. Aviation is his whole life,” raves Bouchard.

Kingery comes from an aviation background, as his grandfather was an instructor at TOPGUN, the real-life military aviation program, the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, in Miramar, California.

“The way he wrote, the detail and passion he showed, and his goal to stay in Talkeetna and fly for one of the services there. Maybe even one day become an instructor himself. It just stood out.”

Not only does Kingery have a passion for flying like Bouchard’s son, but there was his idea to carry on the pilot legacy, and share it with others.

In May, Bouchard presented the scholarship to Kingery during an assembly at Su Valley Jr/Sr High School. During the bittersweet ceremony, she reminded students and guests alike of the dangers of fentanyl-it can easily be in anything.

“Don’t mess with substances, don’t even take a pill from somebody that you don’t know. Don’t break your mother’s heart, like mine is broken.”

Kingery took his first solo flight in July, and earlier this week, he became a licensed pilot after passing his Private Pilot exam.

“The skies are yours and so many opportunities you can’t even imagine,” the school wrote. “We are all so incredibly proud of you for knocking this out in one summer!”

They also thanked everyone who helped and supported Kingery along the way, especially the Lee family, his Certified Flight Instructors Mac & Scott, DPE Paul.

“I want to make Taegge proud of me for overcoming this heartbreaking grief by making a positive difference in the community and other individual’s lives. I want to show there is hope in this storm!”