Flying first class

Alramahi awarded largest scholarship in TWU history

Aug. 26, 2024 – DENTON – Danah Alramahi is making history.

She's one of the first members of the first class of TWU's Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences, which opens its first semester this fall. And she's the recipient of the largest scholarship in the history of Texas Woman's University.

Not bad for an incoming freshman from Coppell and a program just getting off the ground.

Doswell program director Clint Grant and the TWU Advancement Division ambushed Alramahi and her parents with the news at the end of July. After luring her to the Advancement offices under the pretense of making a brief introductory video, Grant informed Alramahi she was being awarded a scholarship of $140,000 – a full, four-year ride funded by TBMOPA, the association of owners and pilots of TBM airplanes, a line of sleek single-engine airplanes that look fast sitting on the tarmac.

The news had Alramahi shaking with her hands over her face.

"I'm beyond…" she began but trailed off. "I can't even start to express it in words. Receiving this, I'm beyond grateful. I keep saying thank you, but I do not know how to genuinely thank them enough."

"This is going to absolutely change her life," Grant said. "The generosity of the TBM owner pilot association is insane. It's just amazing."

Alramahi is precisely the kind of student Grant and the TBMOPA are looking for. She has had a lifelong interest in flying and has been laser focused on her quest to become an aviator and airline pilot.

"I love being in the air," she said. "Ever since I was young, it had always been a dream of mine."

"The students coming to TWU for the flight program aren't trying to decide between being a nurse or majoring in business or do I want to be a pilot," Grant said. "They already know they want to be a pilot."

Alramahi also understands the colossal challenge she must overcome before she taxis an aircraft onto a runway. Although TWU is one of the most affordable universities in the nation, the price of learning to fly far exceeds the cost of tuition and fees. Over four years, the price tag just for flight training is more than $100,000.

Alramahi was undeterred.

"That's something you learn very early on when you're looking at schools, to factor in cost," she said. "You don't just look at the tuition. You have to search up their specific flight program, what planes you'll be flying, how long it'll take, their cost of gas for the plane, the instructor cost. It all adds up to quite a big sum.

"But I know for me, this was my dream, my passion, the only thing I ever talked about wanting to do, so I knew I was going to pursue it no matter what. Even if it meant taking different jobs, taking out loans, applying for whatever student aid there is, I was willing to do it as long as it meant I would get to fulfill my dream. And I'm aiming high with it, too, so I knew it would be worth it in the end."

That's the attitude Grant is looking for, because he doesn't want to waste valuable time and resources on those not fully committed to this endeavor.

"It's important to understand this is expensive," Grant said. "This will be the most expensive program at TWU, and it's not even close. In information sessions and meetings with students, my job is to scare them away. I want to know they're serious about becoming pilots because it's a tough, long road. It goes beyond just four years of college. Is this something you really want to do? I'm trying to weed out the kids who are just kicking tires or think they want to be a pilot because it pays a lot of money from those who have a passion for aviation.

"When Danah came to my office, I was impressed with the questions she asked. Her dad also had questions, and I could tell by the interactions between her and her dad that Danah was the one driving the ship. It wasn't like the kids sitting over there being quiet while mom and dad did all the work. It was the other way around. She had a real passion to do this. I could tell no matter what, she was going to make it happen. She's going to become a pilot."

"I've seen the real interest inside her to be a pilot," said Danah's father, Basel. "She's going to be good pilot. I've told her I'm supporting you, and your mom and family support you to make your dream came true. I'm so proud of her."

Alramahi's pursuit of a degree in aviation predated her interest in TWU. She was considering her options when she attended Girls in Aviation Day, hosted by Women in Aviation, and learned that TWU was about to offer a degree in aeronautical sciences.

"There aren't many (universities with aviation programs) in the area," Alramahi said. "In Texas, probably three. There are a bunch of academies and different programs you could take without college, but I knew I also wanted walk out with a bachelor's degree along with flying. I looked at Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State has a very good program. But then that would also add the additional cost of out-of-state fees.

"TWU caught my eye," she added. "I'd heard so much about it but I didn't think they had anything to do with aviation. I talked to them and they told me the program was opening Fall 2024. I did my own research and met Mr. Grant and Ms. (Brittany) Dinsmore (Doswell associate director), and it was just phenomenal learning more about the experience and how they got everything together."

The decision to attend TWU was well received by Danah's parents, who moved to Texas from Jordan 34 years ago. Danah plans to commute from home in Coppell.

"I was scared at the beginning, but I know it's her dream," said Danah's mother, Faten. "I keep supporting her and to do what she wants to do, but I'm happy because she's staying with me. My oldest daughter is at Texas A&M, and I keep worrying about her."

Alramahi is entering an industry that has seen its pilot population evolve in the last 20 years. Since the beginning of commercial aviation, the bulk of pilots came from the ranks of the military, former pilots from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Many World War II pilots flew jets in Korea and Vietnam, including legendary flyers like Chuck Yeager and Robin Olds, who inspired generations of pilots.

After leaving the service, these aviators arrived in the civilian workforce possessing vast experience and needing little training.

"There was always a pipeline to the Americans and Deltas and Southwests of pilots coming out of the military with jet experience," Grant said. "It was incredibly difficult to work your way up through the civilian side of it. You might get on with some kind of small commuter airline, maybe flying from Fort Worth to San Antonio, flying twin props or maybe small jets and just not making any money. You could make more money doing a million different things."

But that changed dramatically when the U.S. military began scaling back its air forces in the 1990s.

"Now it's probably more common to get a pilot from the civilian side of things than the military," Grant said.

Of course, that new generation has to acquire its own training, and that's why a scholarship like this is so important.

"The TBM Owners and Pilots Foundation Annual Scholarship is a significant initiative for us because it embodies our commitment to supporting the next generation of aviators," said Tom McGrath, chairman of the TBM Owners Foundation. "By providing this scholarship, we aim to foster educational opportunities, inspire passion for aviation and ensure a bright future for our industry."