Congratulations!
2024 Connecticut Ninety-Nines Flight Training Scholarship
in Honor of Fredrika Ballard Winner
Amber Irimia
in Honor of Fredrika Ballard Winner
Amber Irimia
CONGRATULATIONS to chapter member Amber Irimia! Amber is the winner of the 2024 Connecticut Chapter Flight Training Scholarship in honor of Fredrika Ballard.
This past Friday, chapter scholarship chair Sarah Dorina Smith-Dufton along with other members of the Connecticut 99s, representatives from the Westfield-Barnes Airport, and CFI Sammie Gladu had the honor of presenting the scholarship to Amber in person.
Amber has been a passionate flight student at Fly Lugu under the tutelage of Sammie since July of 2023. What began as a skydiving trip in Utah prompted Amber to wonder what it would be like to fly the airplane instead of just jumping out of one! Amber started training in September of 2021, and with some adjustments along the way, found her flying home at Fly Lugu.
Amber is married with two children and currently works in the mental health field as an APRN. Sammie states that Amber has great focus, passion, and a strong desire to educate herself - even on bad weather days - to grow as a proficient and safe pilot!
It was a great honor to see this scholarship, made in Rika's memory, go to someone so deserving and at the flight school she founded. Rika's presence was felt among all attendees of the announcement ceremony. Her spirit is living on, and for that we know she is proud of her ongoing impact.
This past Friday, chapter scholarship chair Sarah Dorina Smith-Dufton along with other members of the Connecticut 99s, representatives from the Westfield-Barnes Airport, and CFI Sammie Gladu had the honor of presenting the scholarship to Amber in person.
Amber has been a passionate flight student at Fly Lugu under the tutelage of Sammie since July of 2023. What began as a skydiving trip in Utah prompted Amber to wonder what it would be like to fly the airplane instead of just jumping out of one! Amber started training in September of 2021, and with some adjustments along the way, found her flying home at Fly Lugu.
Amber is married with two children and currently works in the mental health field as an APRN. Sammie states that Amber has great focus, passion, and a strong desire to educate herself - even on bad weather days - to grow as a proficient and safe pilot!
It was a great honor to see this scholarship, made in Rika's memory, go to someone so deserving and at the flight school she founded. Rika's presence was felt among all attendees of the announcement ceremony. Her spirit is living on, and for that we know she is proud of her ongoing impact.
