District 142 scholarship competition
TO: RECORDING SECRETARIES OF ALL LOCALS AFFILIATED WITH DISTRICT 142
SUBJECT: DISTRICT 142 SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION – 2026
Dear District 142 Members:
This Call Letter is to announce the 2026 Scholarship Competition for District (D.) 142.
This program is based on an essay competition open to D. 142 members and 2026 graduating high school seniors who are legal children of members of D. 142 in good standing as of Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
To effectively carry out this program, all D. 142-affiliated Locals are requested to:
✓ Distribute to all members the official 2026 Rules and Regulations/Application Form document. (Attached to this page.)
✓ Post the Rules and Regulations/Application Form document on all virtual and station IAM Bulletin Boards.
✓ Visit the D.’s website for more information at: https://atd142.org/
The Application Form contains a verification statement that must be executed by the Local financial officer. This verification attests to a member’s good standing as of March 31, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to plan ahead and make appointments with the Local financial officer to ensure timely completion of his/her application. Note: An application without the Local financial officer official signature will not be considered.
Questions regarding the Scholarship Program, the competition and/or awards should be directed to the office of the D. 142 President/Directing General Chair and Servicing Department via email at scholarships@iamdl142.org.
Many thanks to all affiliated Locals for your assistance with this program. The success of the program depends, to a great degree, on the individual Locals ensuring to share and communicate this information with all your D. 142 members and on Bulletin Boards.
Best wishes and good luck to all participating entrants from the entire D. 142 Staff.
Fraternally and sincerely,
John M. Coveny, Jr.
President/Directing General Chair
Click the image above to open/download the 2026 Scholarship Opener Letter in PDF format.
The Essay Competition is open to members in good standing with the IAM and District (D.) 142 as of Tuesday, March 31, 2026; who are not former recipients of a D. 142 Scholarship Award; and to 2026 graduating high school seniors who are legal children of members in good standing of D. 142 as of Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Rules and regulations
AWARDS – The 2026 awards will consist of:
✓ One (1) first prize scholarship of $3,750; and
✓ Up to five (5) $1,500 scholarships.
Awards may be used for tuition only and will be paid directly to the United States-based accredited community college, university, trade or technical school at which the Awardee is accepted.
ELIGIBILITY – The Essay Competition is open to members in good standing with the IAM and District (D.) 142 as of Tuesday, March 31, 2026; who are not former recipients of a D. 142 Scholarship Award; and to 2026 graduating high school seniors who are legal children of members in good standing of D. 142 as of Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
TIMETABLE – The Essay Competition is now open and will close at 11:59 p.m. ARIZONA MST time zone on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Winners will be announced during the week of August 3, 2026.
ESSAY RULES – This year’s Essay subject is: “Activism vs. Involvement: How Are Both Relevant for Workers of the Future?”. To be considered, all Essay Rules below must be followed. The Essay:
✓ Is to be a minimum of 700 words with a maximum of 1,000 words.
✓ Must be submitted via the link/QR code at the bottom of this page only.
✓ Must include only the title placed at the top of the Essay document.
✓ Must not be typed into the body of the email.
✓ Entrant’s name or any other identifying information should not appear on the Essay document; only on the Application Form. Full name only – no initials or nicknames.
✓ A bibliography of sources for the essay material must be included with the Essay. The bibliography is not included in the essay word count.
✓ The Essay must be the sole work of the entrant.
HANDLING – All Essays received become the property of D. 142 and may be printed in the future using the contestant’s name. Upon receipt, Essays and Application Forms will be separated and numbered for judging purposes. The D. 142 Scholarship Committee will match winning Essays to the appropriate application.
JUDGING – The judges will be selected annually by the D. 142 Scholarship Committee. They will be comprised of scholars and leaders who are not members of the IAM or D. 142. The decisions of the judges will be final. Essays will be judged on grammar, syntax, style, organization, and content.
DISQUALIFICATION – Entrants must comply with all rules regarding the Scholarship Competition or be subject to disqualification. Disqualification will be made by the majority vote of the Scholarship Committee and will be final and binding. Any information supplied by entrants found to be untrue will result in disqualification.
APPLICATION – Applications are online only. All applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ARIZONA MST time zone Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Applications will not be accepted if a Company email address is included. To complete the application and submit an essay click the tab at the top of the page to “Submit Application.”
Click either image below to open/download the official Rules and Regulations and a PDF version of the Application Form.
Complete the form below to submit your Application online and upload your essay.
Congratulations to our Scholarship Winners for 2025!
1st Place – $3,750.00 Scholarship:
Nyla Harris
IAM Member: Nina Caldwell (Southwest Airlines) Local 846 General Chair: Lorraine Fraser
$1,500.00 Scholarship:
Kellie Achzet (Southwest Airlines)
Local 845 General Chair: Lollie Beecher
$1,500.00 Scholarship:
Cianna Herrera
IAM Member: Carrie Ann Herrera (Southwest Airlines) Local 846 General Chair: Lorraine Fraser
$1,500.00 Scholarship:
Tarra Monges (Alaska Airlines)
Local 1781 General Chair: Justin Bates
$1,500.00 Scholarship:
Isabella Cadigan McAdoo
IAM Member: Jason McAdoo (Alaska Airlines) Local 2202 General Chair: Jason McAdoo
A scholarship from District 142 paid off for the daughter of one of our members. Read the article below on Maria DiToppa's outstanding college career at Penn St University!
Click the image below to read the full story!
