Cadet 1st Class Luca Valenti selected for Holaday Scholarship
Cadet 1st Class Luca Valenti will pursue two years of graduate studies at Exeter College at Oxford University in Oxford, England, as the recipient of the 2024 Holaday Scholarship.
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Luca Valenti, Class of 2025, has been selected for the Holaday Scholarship, a fully-funded 2-year postgraduate program in the United Kingdom.
After graduating from the Academy in 1965, Bart Holaday spent two years as a Rhodes Scholar at Exeter College at Oxford University. He and his late wife, Lynn, created the Holaday Scholarship to provide a deserving Academy cadet with the same educational opportunity he benefited from as a young man. The scholarship funds two years of graduate study for a master’s degree in any field.
“The award of a Holaday Scholarship to Cadet Luca Valenti is a testament to his exemplary character, commitment to service, and dedication as a warfighter scholar,” said Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre, Academy’s dean of the faculty. “This honor not only celebrates Valenti’s hard work and achievements but also reflects the strength of our Academy community that empowers cadets to excel in leadership and academics.”
Valenti is an aeronautical engineering major who will graduate and be commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant in May.
Last summer, Valenti interned at the University of Oxford where he explored ways that bird mechanics might help to produce extraterrestrial drone flight. This research he said, “echoes the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci’s legacy.” His “Codex of Flight” showed Valenti the importance of observing natural principles to inspire technology.
“Being selected as a Holaday Scholar is an immense honor,” said Valenti. “It offers the chance to engage with an international academic community, working alongside leading experts in fields that spark my curiosity—particularly avian-inspired engineering research.”
During his time at the Academy, Valenti participated in multiple research projects. One study, inspired by avian flight, investigated how slight longitudinal instability in fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles could expand payload capacity. The study modeled aircraft dynamics on the example of birds carrying prey heavier than themselves. He published a student paper based on this research. Additionally, he presented at Saint Louis University and the Astronaut Scholar Technical Conference 2024.
“Being named a Holaday Scholar validates that hard work and perseverance truly pay off,” said Valenti. “The demands of my journey have been great, and this scholarship assures me that every sacrifice was worthwhile.”
The Holaday scholarship is highly competitive.
“Cadet Valenti’s journey is shaped by the support of faculty mentors, research opportunities, and leadership programs that prepare him to lead with character,” said Letendre. “We are thrilled for Cadet Valenti and all those who contributed to this remarkable accomplishment.”
The Rome, Italy, native will enter U.S. Air Force undergraduate pilot training following his time in the United Kingdom.