Michael Chowdry, a 1978 agriculture aviation graduate of the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC), has established a major scholarship fund for entreupreunarial students at the Crookston campus.

Chowdry established four Michael A. Chowdry Scholarships, in the amount of $5,000 each. The scholarships will be awarded annually to entrepreneurial students – one from each year -- freshman, sophomore, junior and senior – who are attending UMC.

Chowdry was honored last evening (November 4) as a Torch and Shield Recipient at the annual recognition banquet.

Chowdry is a man who has had the privilege of living the American dream. Born in Pakistan, he immigrated to the United States in the mid 1970’s and began to pursue formal education in what had been his childhood fantasy—a career in the airline industry.

He enrolled in the Agricultural Aviation program at UMC. While at the University, he worked a variety of jobs from driving church buses on Sunday mornings to flying as an ag pilot to pay his tuition. During that difficult but rewarding time, he met many people with the University who supported him with their guidance, encouragement and support. In 1978, Mr. Chowdry graduated from UMC with a degree in Agricultural Aviation and a burning desire to put his formal education to use.

Today Chowdry runs Atlas Air, Inc., a multi-million dollar international air cargo company he founded in 1992. On his way to this successful enterprise, he has gained 20 years of industry knowledge and experience.

He went from giving pilot instruction to farmers in South Dakota, to marketing small aircraft, to owning and operating a small commuter, owning and operating a regional jet carrier, to marketing larger jet aircraft. Marketing aircraft lead Mr. Chowdry to found Aeronautics Leasing, a company that owned many aircraft which were leased out to various airlines. Soon many of the world’s leading carriers were customers of Aeronautics Leasing.