NEWS RELEASE					
28 March 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:	Jennifer Saddler Thomas
Phone:		(740) 452-6462
Fax:        (740) 453-3758 
E-mail:  	jthomas@y-city.net


Scholarships Soar to All-Time High of $461, 570 at 
International Women in Aviation Conference 


Women in Aviation, International announced scholarship winners
at the 11th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference
held recently in Memphis.  Scholarships totaling $461,570, an
18 percent increase from the 1999 Conference were awarded to
46 women. 

Selection factors for the annually awarded scholarships include:
achievements, attitude toward self and others, commitment to
success, dedication to career, financial need, motivation,
reliability, responsibility and teamwork.  Each year WAI strives
to offer additional scholarships to suit the needs of the
organization’s diverse membership.      

The scholarships were awarded in the following areas: flight
training (private pilot, commercial pilot, instrument rating,
CFI, CFII, MEI, flight engineer, type ratings), maintenance
(A&P, complex systems training, engine training), aviation
management and monetary awards to be used toward continuing 
education. 
According to WAI Scholarship Committee Chair Mary Ann Eiff, 
“We are thrilled to be able to offer scholarships for these 
deserving women and grateful to the aviation organizations 
which supports WAI’s effort to encourage women to consider 
a career in aviation.”  Eiff added that many companies, 
including Airbus, the Amelia Earhart Society, Cessna Aircraft 
Company, Northwest Airlines and Women in Corporate Aviation, 
awarded additional scholarships during the Conference because 
they found several candidates to be equally qualified and 
deserving.

The following companies awarded scholarships to the individuals 
listed below:  

Airbus
A-320 Type Rating-
Renee Sandell Craig, Vancouver, WA
Jacci Ebert, Milwaukee, WI

Leadership Award-
Mary Mukulu Musimba, St. Louis Univ, MO, Kenya, Africa

Aircraft Electronics Assoc.
Avionics Training-
Lisa C. Crispin, Higley, AZ

Aircraft Technical Publishers
Maintenance Technician of the Year Award-
Andrea Hess, El Segundo, CA

Amelia Earhart Society 
Khadija Mohamed, Nairobi, Kenya, Africa

American Airlines 
Type Rating-
Jacqueline Basinger, Sterling, VA
Linda Laine, N. Richland Hills (Dallas), TX
	    
Bombardier
Maintenance Training-
Lisa Palmer, Dallas, TX

Cessna 
Private Pilot Training-
Sharon Kay Riffle, Tulsa, OK 
Amy Lynn Martin, Edinboro, PA

Fed Ex
Advanced Flight Training-
Heidi Southworth, Alta Loma, CA
Jessica Lowery, Franklin, TN
Jenny Troutner
Flight Engineer-
Brandi Bertrand, West Memphis, TN

FlightSafety 
Maintenance Training-
Lana West, Juneau, AK
Flight Instructor Training- 
Lisa Maria Bruni, Plantation, FL 
Type Rating- 
Julie Ann Johnson, Kalamazoo, MI

Flight Training Magazine
Trip to conference, all expenses paid-
Pia Bergqvist, Los Angeles, CA
Kim McPherson, Abbotsford, BC, Canada

Paul Irvin Memorial Scholarship
Melinda Pickering, Delphi, IN

Jeppesen  
Private Pilot Training-
Jacki Linnea Andre, Firestone, CO
Ellen Theresa DePaolo, Aurora, CO

Northwest Airlines 
Type Rating-
Kimberly Simonson,  Richfield, MN
Amy Jo Brooks, Marion, MS
Susan Bailey-Schmidt, Wooster, OH

Parks College, SLU
N/A

SimuFlite 
Maintenance Training -Joy Reeske, Houston, TX
Type Rating- Susan Ballew, Laguna Beach, CA

United Maintenance 
Maintenance Training-
Ammie L. Riekena, S. Yarmouth, MA
Stella Burton, Indianapolis, IN
Pauline M. Peralta, San Francisco, CA
Therse Stone, San Mateo, CA
Elsie Lam, Berkley, CA
Angela M. Green, San Francisco, CA

WAI Achievement Awards 
Khadija Mohamed, Nairobi, Kenya, Africa 
Laurie Lynn Matta, Burnsville, MN
Valerie Kae Barker, Liberal, MO 

Women in Aviation Management Award
Thelma L. Rudd, Memphis, TN

Women in Corporate Aviation 
Stacey Kotrla, San Angelo, TX
Ines Helm, Omaha, NE

In addition to the conference awards, the following WAI 
scholarships will be announced later this year:

Bombardier		 
Type Rating in CL-604			
to be awarded at the NBAA Convention

Pratt & Whitney		
5 Maintenance Scholarships		
to be awarded by December 31

Contact Mary Ann Eiff at eiff@gte.net or the WAI Web 
site at www.wiai.org for details.  

Scholarships will be awarded at the 12th Annual International 
Women in Aviation Conference, March 22-24, 2001, in Reno, 
Nevada.  Scholarship opportunities will be announced in the 
September/October issue of Aviation for Women and on WAI’s Web 
site. The application deadline is December 8, 2000.

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Women in Aviation, International is a non-profit organization 
with more than 5,000 members, based near Dayton, Ohio. WAI is 
dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of women in all 
aviation careers and interests.  The organization provides 
numerous benefits including scholarships, Aviation for Women 
magazine and the annual conference. For more information contact 
Women in Aviation, International at 3647 S.R. 503 S, West 
Alexandria, OH USA 45381; Phone (937) 839-4647; 
Fax (937) 839-4645; E-mail wai@infinet.com; Web www.wiai.org.

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