Girls Achieving Leadership in Aviation (GALA) Scholarship is accepting applications through July
The scholarship is open to young women between the ages of 16 and 20 who are interested in an aviation-related career path.
Young women interested in entering the aviation field have until the end of the month to pursue an opportunity to help pay for their education. Applications are now open for the GALA Scholarship, specifically created to support young women from the Tampa Bay area who are passionate about pursuing careers in the aviation industry. The scholarship opportunity is made possible thanks to last fall's GALA (Girls Achieving Leadership in Aviation) event held at Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands. 
The inaugural GALA fundraising event was held in March of 2022 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first all-women air show hosted at Peter O. Knight Airport in 1949. The special celebration raised scholarship money for young women in the Tampa Bay area to pursue an education in aviation. Generous donations made by sponsors were used to fund the scholarship.
Today, the annual event continues to celebrate women in aviation past, present and future by continuing to raise funds each year for this important cause. The GALA Scholarship Fund is named after a local aviation trailblazer, Betty Skelton. Known as “The First Lady of Firsts,” she began her aviation career at Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF) in the 1940s. She flew aerobatics and raced at the first All Woman Air Show in 1949 to help raise awareness of women in aviation after WWII. She was an international aerobatics champion and later became a professional racecar driver for Chevrolet. Betty broke more aviation and automotive records than anyone else in history. Her biplane, “Little Stinker,” hangs in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.
To be considered for the GALA Scholarship, applicants must:
• Be between the ages of 16 and 20 at the time of application
• Have a keen interest in or currently pursuing a career in aviation
Applications are welcomed from those interested in the following fields:
• General Aviation Pilot Training
• Professional (Commercial) Pilot Training
• Aerospace Administration
• Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic
• Aerospace Engineering
• Aerospace Educator
Other career fields can be considered as long as they are principally aviation-related. Additionally, student pilots who are currently enrolled in flight training for any certificate are strongly encouraged to apply. Multiple scholarships of up to $5000 each will be awarded. The number of scholarships and the amount awarded will depend on available funding and the number of qualified applicants.
The application window for the 2024 scholarships runs through July 31st. The GALA Scholarship Committee will interview eligible candidates during the month of August. Successful applicants will be notified by September 6, 2024.
Winners will be recognized and their scholarships will be officially awarded at the 10th annual Girls in Aviation Day Event at Sheltair’s Tampa International Airport facility on September 21st, 2024.
Anyone with questions or needing assistance can email galascholarship@tampaairport.com.
Click here for more information and to download the complete application.
