The Hayward Air Rally Ray Hazel Memorial Scholarship

We are pleased to announce two winners of the Ray Hazel Memorial Scholarship for 2025:

Congratulations to Rafael Caro and Kayla Szulc! Rafael is a resident of Hayward and is currently attending the Aviation Institute of Maintenance.  He is studying to be an aviation maintenance technician and ultimately a commercial pilot.  Kayla is studying at San Jose State University and is working towards her CFI. Both will receive an award of $2000. We wish them success in their endeavors! 

We plan to post details regarding the 2026 scholarship in February.

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Previous scholarship recipients:

2024: Daniel Bolanos of Union City, and Landon Abrar of San Jose
2023: Ashley Lin of Union City, and Tram Do of San Jose

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The scholarship is named in memory of Ray Hazel, a participant and volunteer with the Hayward Air Rally for more than 30 years. He first flew as a passenger in 1988, then as navigator from 1998 to 2005, winning the event in 2001. Since then, he was our veteran timing line official until his passing in early 2023. If you've flown the rally in recent years, it was likely his voice that greeted you at the final timing line. We hope our scholarship can help others realize his same spirit and passion for aviation.

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EAA Air Academy Summer Camp Scholarship

From 2010 to 2022, the Hayward Air Rally provided full airfare and tuition scholarships to the EAA Air Academy for deserving students in the Bay Area. Due to increasing costs and logistical challenges administering that scholarship, we suspended the program in 2023 in favor of the current monetary scholarship.

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The Hayward Air Rally, Inc. is a not-for-profit California public benefit corporation, with IRS 501(c)(3) status. The Hayward Air Rally's primary charter is to enhance general aviation safety by encouraging aircraft pilots to stay proficient in basic flight and fuel management techniques. Each year, the organization stages the Hayward Air Rally, and for the past 15 years, has also funded a scholarship to cultivate the next generation of aviators.