Write a letter of recommendation that shines a brightly as your student

Thank you for investing the time and energy to mentor the future of the aerospace profession. The AIAA Kahn Scholarship deadline is right around the corner and we need your help to get our High School members’ applications over the finish line!

Application packets require a letter of recommendation from a teacher or mentor. Whether you’ve had the opportunity to write 100 letters of recommendation, or if this is your first—when you’re ready to recommend one of your students we have a few tips to get you started.

Start Strong

Your introduction should let the awards jury know upfront why you’ve decided to write a letter of recommendation for your applicant. Be sure to include an explanation of how you know the applicant and for how long.

Share their passion for STEM

Provide anecdotes from their studies or extracurriculars that demonstrate your applicant’s interest in STEM. Focus on the outcomes of their work. How has their work impacted others? Their own life? Or the aerospace field at large?

Highlight what makes them unique

Offer the awards jury an insight into your applicant’s character. Detail what kind of student and professional you believe they will grow to become. Something more than their classes and extracurriculars made this applicant stand out to you, make sure to weave that into your recommendation.

Summarize their strengths

Conclude with a short summary of the applicant’s strengths, building on the details you’ve provided previously.

And that’s it, you can download our example and help launch your students into the next stage of their aerospace journey! Thank you again for your support and we look forward to reading your letters.

p.s. Challenger Center and AIAA have teamed up to support STEM educators with our Trailblazing STEM Educator Award. You could win $10,000 for a teacher and another $10,000 for their school to reinvest in the course work fueling students’ passion for aerospace!