SCHOLARS
Inspired by Kylie’s Flight Path
Meet the Recipients
These young women are chasing their aviation dreams with the same determination and spirit that Kylie brought to everything she did. Several flight students have been awarded a memorial scholarship. Check back soon to learn about additional recipients.
Shelbe Jarret
MULTI-ENGINE INSTRUCTOR (MEI)
Inaugural Recipient · Student-Athlete
Shelbe grew up riding and competing in equestrian events, a path that carried her to Delaware State University’s NCAA Division I Women’s Equestrian Team, where she served as co-captain her senior year. She completed the bulk of her flight training at Delaware State before heading to South Dakota State University for graduate school, and last year she earned her R-ATP certificate along with her first type rating in an Embraer 145 jet. Today she flies for a corporate flight department close to home, with her sights set on continuing to learn and eventually flying internationally. Like Kylie, she’s generous with encouragement for other young women weighing the same path, reminding them that comparison is the thief of joy and that there’s a whole network of people ready to help those who aren’t afraid to reach out.
Jacqueline Cako
MULTI-ENGINE INSTRUCTOR (MEI)
2025 Recipient · Former Division I Tennis Player & Professional Athlete
Jacqueline picked up a tennis racket at seven and never really put it down, playing Division I tennis at Arizona State University before turning pro in 2013 and competing until COVID brought the tour to a halt. That pause became a beginning: she started learning to fly, teaching tennis on the side to fund her flight training. Today she instructs at California Aeronautical University in Mesa, Arizona, where the scholarship helped her earn her MEI and now teach both single- and multi-engine students. She’s building her hours toward becoming a Designated Pilot Examiner, and is training to conduct internal check rides through CAU’s in-house authorization. Like Kylie, Jacqueline is passionate about the community of women in aviation. After years in the world of competitive sports, she found the camaraderie of Women in Aviation and the Ninety-Nines to be a breath of fresh air, and tells other women on the fence that with hard work and determination, the sky is the limit.
Lauren Stettbacher
MULTI-ENGINE RATING
2026 Recipient · Student-Athlete
Lauren competed in cross country, basketball, and softball throughout high school, all while working toward her private pilot certificate at the same time. She chose to trade collegiate athletics for a local technical college and an aviation management degree, and that focus has carried her far: she now holds a commercial multi-engine license, an instrument rating, and a certified flight instructor certificate, and teaches in the J-3 Cubs at Kylie’s Cub Air in Hartford while working toward her CFI-Instrument rating. She hopes to become a corporate pilot flying private jets, but stays open to wherever the journey leads. Like Kylie, Lauren is quick to encourage other young women on the fence, having navigated the doubts and detours herself and come out glad she never let them stop her.
Gabriella Imler
PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE
2025 Recipient · Student-Athlete & Varsity Volleyball Captain
Gabby carried the leadership she built as captain of an undefeated varsity volleyball season into her flight training, where her Private Pilot Certificate is now within reach. She’s working toward a career as a commercial airline pilot with a major carrier, a dream she’s chased since she started flight training her sophomore year of high school. Like Kylie, Gabby believes the leap into aviation is always worth taking, and she’s quick to share that belief with other young women weighing the same path.
Ana Filich
PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE
2025 Recipient · Student-Athlete, Sailing Team & Aerial Acrobat
Ana splits her time between her school’s sailing team and aerial acrobatics, a sport she’s practiced since she was seven. In her words, the two pursuits taught her much of the same balance and creativity she now finds in the air. She’s working toward her Private Pilot Certificate, recently completed her first night flight, and is preparing for her solo cross-country flights. What started as a dream of flying cargo internationally has turned into a passion for aerial firefighting, with her sights now set on flying Canadair CL-415 “Super Scooper” water bombers.
Reni Emmerich
PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE
2024 Recipient · Student-Athlete & U.S. Military Servicemember
A former cross country, track, and Muay Thai athlete, Reni has worked toward her Private Pilot Certificate alongside college and active military service, pausing her training when duty calls and picking it back up whenever she can. She hopes to become a Certified Flight Instructor after her military career, so she can mentor and inspire the next generation of pilots the way she hopes to inspire them now. Her path hasn’t been a straight line, but the tenacity she’s shown reflects the same focus Kylie was known for.
Cameron Rucinski
INSTRUMENT RATING
2023 Recipient · Student-Athlete · Varsity Swim Team Captain
Cameron balanced varsity swimming, including a season as team captain, with the demands of flight training, much like Kylie balanced her own sport and her flying. She’s now finishing her Certified Flight Instructor rating at Kylie’s Cub Air Flight school (named in her honor) and working toward a long-term goal of flying internationally for a major airline. Like Kylie, she’s passionate about bringing more women into the cockpit and uses her own journey to mentor and inspire the next generation of aviators.