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GlobalAir.com is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026-27 Calvin L. Carrithers Aviation Scholarship: Ruth Calix, Elliot Garcia, Kyria Taillon and Jay Veals. The Calvin L. Carrithers Aviation Scholarship program was first launched in 2014 to provide students across the country with additional support for their flight training. Each recipient receives $1,000 for their training and is chosen based on their writing abilities, enthusiasm for aviation and motivation to pursue further education. Additionally, the scholars will work with GlobalAir.com's editorial team and contribute to its social media presence. "At GlobalAir.com, we've always believed that the future of general aviation depends on the people willing to invest in it early — the students who show up, put in the work, and commit to building real careers in this industry," said Jeff Carrithers, president and CEO of GlobalAir.com. "This year's four scholarship recipients embody that spirit and the legacy of Calvin L. Carrithers himself, a man who never stopped learning and never stopped giving back. It's an honor to support them with this $1,000 award, and I can't wait to see where their passion for aviation takes them." Ruth Calix currently works as a Safety Programs Analyst at a regional airline, supporting programs like FOQA, SMS and voluntary safety reporting. She states that her path to aviation has been shaped by a desire to understand why incidents happen before they ever become accidents, which has driven her toward advanced academic study and long-term goals in aviation safety, safety analytics and applied research. Elliot Garcia started flying planes in his senior year when he applied for the Air Force JROTC Flight Academy scholarship, which enabled him to get his pilot license. Since then, he has been enrolled at JB Aeronautics in Fresno, California and has completed his instrument rating training. He states his short-term goal is to become an instructor, while his long-term goal is to work his way up to being an airline pilot. Kyria Taillon has made the Dean's List all three semesters that she has been attending college, along with being an active member in her school's chapter of Women in Aviation and the Aviation Safety Oversight Council. Kyria is committed to fostering an atmosphere of aviation safety on campus and plans to intern at a major U.S. airline after her junior year, with the goal of becoming a captain at United Airlines. Jay Veals was enrolled in a trade school for auto industrial engineering at 16 while also taking college classes at Central Arizona College and is currently enrolled at the University of North Dakota. Since he took his first discovery flight and found his love for aviation, he has worked hard pulling extra shifts, drilling the material with his instructor, and building a custom study plan to eventually fly as an airline pilot. His goal is to show young kids that they can reach their goals through hard work and discipline, even as an underdog. Congratulations to our winners! We look forward to seeing your contributions here at GlobalAir.com and to a bright future in aviation.