I am a first-generation pilot with very little aviation background. When I was a kid, I went through many “dream jobs” and a pilot was one amongst many others like being an astronaut, CIA agent, or a spy. Like most kids, I had no idea what I actually wanted to do, and my family just thought I was throwing random things out. However, being a pilot stuck. Throughout high school I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but I eventually circled back to being a pilot. I love to gain new experiences rather than materialistic things, and I knew I wanted to travel to as many places as I could throughout my lifetime, so what better career path. My dad set up a discovery flight for me at our local FBO where I had the opportunity to fly in a Cessna and fly over our house and my high school, and I was hooked. At this time, my dad was battling Pancreatic Cancer for the 2nd year, but still made all the effort he could to help me follow my dreams.Once I solidified my plan to start my aviation journey, my dad and I went to work on finding the best aviation school for me to attend. That’s where we landed at The University of North Dakota. I love Aviation because of the opportunity it provides. In 2022 I started my freshman year of college at the University of North Dakota. I started my flight training my 2nd semester and fell even more in love with it. I started making connections and building relationships within the aviation world at school, which is when I received the most amazing opportunity I have had yet. During the summer after my freshman year, my dad’s health was rapidly declining, and all I wanted was for him to see me doing my passion. He was able to travel up from IL to ND, and with the help of some connections, I was able to take my dad flying. Since I didn’t yet have my PPL, I had to go up with a CFI named Lexi, but I still got to take him up and show him all the hard work I’ve been putting into flying. Seeing him be so proud of me, and having the opportunity to show him the thing I love is why I truly love aviation. It was a moment that meant so much to us both, and I love that we were able to do that together. My dad passed away before he was able to see me get my PPL, but knowing that I was able to still fly with him before he passed made it all worth it. I will forever cherish that memory. This flight was so impactful for me not only because I got to take my dad flying, but also because this was the first female CFI I had ever flown with. After this flight, we kept in touch and she ended up doing half of my instrument training. Lexi also became one of my mentors in aviation. Before she left UND for the airlines, I was about to start my training to become a CFI. We went out to breakfast before she left and had a full circle moment. She gave me some tips and helped ease my fears of becoming an instructor myself. Fast forward to January of this year, I am now instructing at UND. Aviation is so important to me because of the opportunities and connections it creates.

I am a first-generation pilot with very little aviation background. When I was a kid, I went through many “dream jobs” and a pilot was one amongst many others like being an astronaut, CIA agent, or a spy. Like most kids, I had no idea what I actually wanted to do, and my family just thought I was throwing random things out. I have been fortunate to have traveled to many different countries already, and my love for travel inspired my love and passion for aviation. I love to gain new experiences rather than materialistic things, and I knew I wanted to travel to as many places as I could throughout my lifetime, so what better career path. Once I solidified my plan to start my aviation journey, my dad and I went to work on finding the best aviation school for me to attend. That’s where we landed at The University of North Dakota; one of, if not the top aviation schools in the country. I started flying the spring semester of my freshman year (2023). I really enjoyed it and was trying to work through my PPL training until I had to go home over part of the summer. My dad had reached the end of his battle with pancreatic cancer, so I put aviation on pause to spend his last days together with him at my home in Illinois. This was a very difficult time for me, and I needed to take some time for myself before I got back into the cockpit. I ended up having to go into my fall semester of my sophomore year to finish up my training and get my cert. Due to finishing late, I couldn’t start my instrument training until the spring semester of my sophomore year (2024). I completed my instrument rating this past summer, and just finished my commercial multi this spring (2025). I am now beginning prepping for my CFI course which I will be taking over the summer all while balancing two part-time jobs as well as weekly volunteering. While it has been quite the journey so far, I am thankful for the opportunities I have had in aviation and the support from my friends, CFIs and instructors, and most of all, my family. Feeling the support from my past CFIs is one of the main reasons I want to become a CFI. I want to become a CFI to further my career in aviation and help me reach my end goal of going to a major airline. While becoming a CFI is part of the process, I'm excited to not only gain hours from it, but to also give back to the community while having the opportunity to teach. I am currently a consistent volunteer at Journey Homes Animal Rescue, the Treasurer and newly elected Vice President of UND's Women in Aviation chapter, and have over 1,000 hours of volunteering from high school. Throughout my three years of college so far, I have gone to three Girl's in Aviation Day's as a volunteer, and have attended and volunteered at two Women in Aviation International Conference's. All of these events are opportunities to not only learn more about aviation, but to also inspire the younger generation of pilots, especially young women. The CFI's I have had throughout my flight training have all inspired me to keep working hard, and have opened my eyes to what I can do in the aviation field. I want to be able to continue to inspire others how they did for me. Thank you for your time and this opportunity.

I currently have my private pilot ASEL with instrument rating and am working towards my commercial right now. I have 182.3 hours, 10.1 of which are multi-engine airplane. As a kid, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always tossed around ideas here and there, things like a pilot, astronaut, spy, teacher; but nothing really stuck. I was still back and forth on what I wanted to study in college during my junior year of highschool and was starting to get stressed that I didn’t have a plan. This was until I circled back to the idea of becoming a pilot. I chose a career in aviation because I want to travel the world. When I brought this idea up to my dad, he made it his mission to help me with that dream. He helped set up my first discovery flight at our local part 61 flight school, and I fell in love. This sealed the deal for me. After I made the decision to commit to aviation, my dad made it a point to take me on campus tours of all of the best aviation schools in the country. I was accepted into every school I applied for and ended up choosing the University of North Dakota for Commercial Aviation. After I graduate from UND, I hope to CFI there to build my 1000 hours. I would like to CFI at UND because I believe it is one of the best aviation schools in the world. I also think it would be a great experience to teach at the school I did all of my training at. When I started in the fall of 2022, I had absolutely no experience flying, and now I am almost at my commercial rating. When I graduate in 2026 with my CFII, I think it would be amazing to have a full circle moment and be able to teach others through the program since I experienced it all too. After teaching, I hope to make it to an airline. While any airline would be amazing to work for, I would like to work at Southwest for some of my career since that is the airline I grew up flying on as a kid when I would travel an visit family. Aviation is important to me especially because I am a woman. I believe in equal opportunity for all in the aviation field, which is why I applied for an executive board position for UND's Women in Aviation chapter. For our chapter, I am the treasurer; I am responsible for keeping accurate records of all of our finances for our chapter. While the number of females in the industry is increasing, we are still heavily out numbered. I think it is important to extend the opportunities of aviation to women because it is such an amazing experience. I am a first generation pilot, and having no background in my family, it is important to have support from the aviation community. I have found this support through WAI and aspire to increase the support to others. Since coming to UND, I have volunteered at three Girls in Aviation Days, which is an event to inspire young girls to become interested in aviation. This is somethingI wish I had growing up, but am honored I get to give the opportunity to others. I appreciate the consideration or this scholarship, thank you for your time.

As a kid, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always tossed around ideas here and there, things like a pilot, astronaut, spy, teacher; but nothing really stuck. I was still back and forth on what I wanted to study in college during my junior year of highschool and was starting to get stressed that I didn’t have a plan. This was until I circled back to the idea of becoming a pilot. I knew I wanted to spend my life traveling, and that's what re-inspired me to want to pursue aviation. When I brought this idea up to my dad, he made it his mission to help me with that dream. He helped set up my first discovery flight at our local part 61 flight school, which ended up sealing the deal for me. After I made the decision to commit to aviation, my dad made it a point to take me on campus tours of all of the best aviation schools in the country. I was accepted into every school I applied for and ended up choosing the University of North Dakota for Commercial Aviation. Now that I had a passion and a school to study at, it came to the talk of how I was going to pay for it. My family wants nothing but the best for me and to see me succeed, so they graciously commit to pay for my schooling AND flying, as long as I commit myself to my academics and flying. They wanted me to be able to focus on my schooling 100% without worrying about looming loans. With this agreement, they would pay for my classes and flying, and I would pay for my supplies and housing. We have all stuck true to this commitment; I'm forever grateful for their contribution to my education. Since my family is paying for my schooling out of pocket, it has put added stress on them. My dad recently passed away from pancreatic cancer, and my step dad was let go of his long time job due to downsizing. This changed the dynamic of how my mom, step mom, and grandparents had to budget since they were down two incomes. I want to be able to help contribute to the payments for schooling, especially flying. I work part time at the Grand Forks Airport for UND dispatch and UND admissions, but my part time jobs are not enough to help pay for schooling, it just covers my living expenses. This generous scholarship will allow me to reach my goals in aviation by allowing me to help pay for my flight training costs, rather than my family having to worry. I have been very involved in my community, and will continue to do so. In middle school, I acquired over 800 hours of volunteering at a therapeutic horse riding facility. In high school, I was in 2 leadership organizations, the track team, and the cross-country team. My senior year, I was the captain of the team and helped facilitate the summer camp running program. Since moving to college, which I am now a junior, I have been apart of UND's Women in Aviation chapter for 3 years now. While in the club, I have volunteered for three Girls in Aviation Days (MSP and FAR), where we help get young girls interested in aviation. This school year, I am serving as the treasurer for our chapter, responsible for all of our funds. Thank you for the consideration for this scholarship.

As a kid, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always tossed around ideas here and there, things like a pilot, astronaut, spy, teacher; but nothing really stuck. I was still back and forth on what I wanted to study in college during my junior year of highschool and was starting to get stressed that I didn’t have a plan. This was until I circled back to the idea of becoming a pilot. When I brought this idea up to my dad, he made it his mission to help me with that dream. He helped set up my first discovery flight at our local part 61 flight school, which ended up sealing the deal for me. After I made the decision to commit to aviation, my dad made it a point to take me on campus tours of all of the best aviation schools in the country. I was accepted into every school I applied for and ended up choosing the University of North Dakota for Commercial Aviation. Now that I had a passion and a school to study at, it came to the talk of how I was going to pay for it. My family wants nothing but the best for me and to see me succeed, so they graciously commit to pay for my schooling AND flying, as long as I commit myself to my academics and flying. They wanted me to be able to focus on my schooling 100% without worrying about looming loans. With this agreement, they would pay for my classes and flying, and I would pay for my supplies and housing. We have all stuck true to this commitment; I'm forever grateful for their contribution to my education. I feel that I exemplify leadership due to my hardworking personality and my drive to succeed. I believe good leadership qualities involve being a part of the team and maintain good communication. One way that I'm practicing leadership currently is by being on the executive board of UND's Women in Aviation chapter. This year, I am the treasurer, which is an important role in managing our chapter's funds. With this leadership role, I am a part of our team and responsible for accurate and secure money transactions. I must also maintain communication with all of our members to ensure all funding is accurate. Since my family is paying for my schooling out of pocket, it has put added stress on them. My dad recently passed away from pancreatic cancer, and my step dad was let go of his long time job due to downsizing. This changed the dynamic of how my mom, step mom, and grandparents had to budget since they were down two incomes. I want to be able to help contribute to the payments for schooling, especially the flying. I work part time at the Grand Forks Airport for UND dispatch and UND admissions, but my part time jobs are not enough to help pay for schooling, it just covers my living expenses. This scholarship will allow me to reach my goals in aviation by lifting some of the guilt I have from my parents spending thousands of dollars for me to be able to reach my dreams of flying in the airlines one day. The best way I know how to help them is to be awarded money from scholarships. I am eternally grateful that they have committed to paying for my schooling, and I want to be able to contribute as well. I would be grateful for any scholarship I am awarded.

The squirrels run back and forth on the top of our chain link fence. As my dog watches from the sliding glass door, this running excites a certain type of energy that causes her to jump 5ft in the air. When I let her outside, she simply cannot resist the temptation and sprints to the fence. With all this momentum, she is able to jump even higher than before, nearly reaching the top of the fence. This causes the squirrel, understandably, to be frightened and run the opposite way. In an instant, Maggie runs after it. They go back and forth on the fence for five or so minutes, the squirrel frantically trying to get away, until it realizes that it is on the fence, and Maggie is on the ground. With this epiphany of safety and security, the squirrel relaxes and looks at Maggie square in the face. The terror in the squirrel has fled, and the chase has become a game. The squirrel shakes its tail and Maggie to get her attention, and then runs away with her following. This goes back and forth with the occasional tree hoping just to show Maggie she has no chance at catching the squirrel. Although the squirrel realizes this, it is never recognized my Maggie, and she chases the squirrel until exhaustion, and the squirrel can happily reside in his tree. Watching the squirrels tease my dog is something that will never get old. It may sound mean for me to be entertained by such, but it is something that makes my stomach hurt from laughing and my cheeks hurt from smiling.

My dog Maggie loves to run and play. He best dog friend, Fozzie, also loves this. They both especially love to play in the snow. They wrestle with each other, eat snow, and just have an overall good time. I love watching them be with each other. They feed off of the others energy while also understanding when the other needs a break. Watching the dogs play brings me a certain type if happiness. They have a different type of care-free attitude about themselves that is enjoyable to watch and something I wish everyone had the opportunity to see. The happiness they get from each other is contagious, and it is a pleasure to receive some of it. It is funny how something as simple as two dogs playing can make my mood ten times better in an instant. The amount of joy they get from each other is something I strive to have in my day to day life.

My name is Kaelyn Wiltse. I am a highly driven student and competitive athlete. I care deeply about others and am very empathetic. Other people inspire me to be a better person. I learn from the actions of others, how to better treat them and how to better treat myself. Other people inspire me to be a better person by allowing me to change my perspective on things. I observe many different people in my everyday life, and all these people allow me to see certain things in a different way. The technology I would like to create would better the American population and the "obesity crisis." My technology would be a phone charger that charges your phone while you are moving. It would use the body's energy to power your device. This would positively impact the world by ensuring people are getting daily exercise. Although there would still the chargers that plug into the wall, I know there would be some people wiling to make the change.

One of my favorite hobbies is running. I love to run with the girls from my cross-country team not only to stay in shape, but also because we all get to participate in something we enjoy. The conversations had during runs are unmatched and irreplaceable. The types of things discussed during a 7 mile long run is something you would never think could have an entire conversation dedicated to it. One thing that gets talked about more than anyone could ever guess is the bathroom. It is something that is taboo in day to day life and is typically kept private, but runners treat bathroom talk as a bonding activity. There is something oddly comforting about it however. It is a weird connection formed with the other runners that you could never have with anyone else. I think the main reason I love running so much, besides the competition, is that you meet your family. On the cross-country team, those girls become your sisters. Yes, we have fights, and sometimes we really do not like each other, but in the end we always have each others back. The team always has someone you can turn to and rely on for anything. Through running, I have met my best friend and I will forever be grateful. We have formed a friendship like know other and have had conversations unimaginable. But I would not change it for the world. I love running for so many reasons. I love the freedom and the release. I love the competition and the fitness. Above all, I love the friendship and the family that comes out of it all.

My name is Kaelyn . I am a kind individual that strives for the best in everything. I am hilarious if I do say so myself. I am a highly dedicated student that works hard in and out of the classroom. Outside of school, I love to run and go to the gym. I care deeply about others and am often told I wear my heart on my sleeve. Besides my heart, I would love to wear the name of my dream college, Embry-Riddle" on my sleeve, and this would be possible through the New Opportunity Scholarship.