With your generous support, we provide financial assistance to promising young women who are working on obtaining a private pilot’s license or any subsequent flight ratings as part of their advancement into their desired careers in aviation. Our scholarships are offered through the Women in Aviation International (WAI) organization, of which Val was an avid member. She encouraged fellow female aviators to attend the annual conference, and she advocated for and embodied female mentorship within the naval aviation community, inspiring other women to follow in her footsteps.
The Lt. Valerie Cappelaere Delaney Memorial Scholarship started in 2014 as a $1,000 scholarship and has since increased to $10,000, which makes a huge difference in offsetting the financial burden of private flight training. Our scholars are selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants and embody many of the same characteristics as Val and other women in the military aviation community. We provide assistance to the selected scholarship recipient to attend the annual WAI Conference so that we can present the award in person and they can get the added experience and benefits of the conference. We have facilitated a tight network among our scholarship recipients and have been amazed to follow their incredible career advancements within aviation when we attend and support them to attend the WAI Conference each year. Get to know our past scholars below and consider donating to help us keep Val’s legacy alive by assisting more women in earning their pilot’s wings!
Meet The 2024 Scholarship Winners
Learn about all of our past scholars
SELISE ASKELAND (2023)
The winner of the 2023 Wings for Val Drone Pilot’s Training & Photography Scholarship valued at $5,000.00 is Selise Askeland. Selise is originally from Houston, Texas, but recently has been pursuing a degree in Aviation Management at the [...]
MARGARET CLEARY (2023)
The 2023 winner of the CAPT Sara Knutson Cullen Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $5,000.00 is Margaret Cleary of Denver, Colorado. Margaret has a degree in Aviation and Aerospace Science with a concentration in [...]
TATIANA SABANERO (2023)
The winner of the 2023 LT Valerie Cappelaere Delaney Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $5,000.00 is Tatiana Sabanero from Los Angeles, California. Tatiana earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aviation management, computer science [...]
ELIZABETH WITTE (2022)
The winner of the 2022 Wings for Val Drone Pilot’s Training & Photography Scholarship valued at $5,000.00 is Elizabeth Witte. Elizabeth is from Indio, California. She is an Engineering student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. She [...]
CORRINA GARDNER (2022)
The 2022 winner of the CAPT Sara Knutson Cullen Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $5,000.00 is Corinna Gardner of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrina is a combat veteran and retired US Navy Senior Chief with 26 years of [...]
FELICE ARTUSO (2022)
The 2022 finalist for the LT Valerie Cappelaere Delaney Memorial Scholarship valued at $3,000.00 is Felice Artuso of Bellingham, Washington. Felice is currently pursuing a fixed-wing private pilot’s license and aims to become a bush pilot [...]
