Lift Off - The Dylan Akin Memorial Flight Training Fund

Captain Dylan Akin knew from the third grade that he wanted to fly. That early dream carried him through the U.S. Air Force Academy, pilot training, and years of service with Air Force Special Operations Command, flying missions across four continents. Dylan wasn't just a pilot — friends and fellow Airmen remember him as someone who pushed others to chase their own goals, encouraging them to finish a degree, take a first flight lesson, or go after a certification they'd been putting off.

Dylan was the son of Gulf Shores City Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Akin and his wife Sandra. Dylan passed away on August 30, 2025, at age 29.

In his memory, Dylan's family established Lift Off: The Dylan Akin Memorial Flight Training Fund, a designated fund administered through the Dolphin Foundation for Education and Arts. The fund helps Gulf Shores High School Aviation Academy students cover the real costs of learning to fly — instruction, flight hours, exams, and the path to a private pilot certificate — expenses that can put flight training out of reach for students and families.

Read the full story:  Where Dreams Take Flight — Gulf Shores High School Aviation Academy.

Jason Stephenson was one of the founding voices behind Gulf Shores City Schools, hosting the very first in-home meeting that sparked the movement to create a city school system. He went on to found the Dolphin Dads and co-found the Dolphin Foundation for Education and Arts, later serving as its Chairman and helping bring initiatives like The Hangout Music Lab, the Center for Applied Design Powered by Volkert, the Waves of Steel band, and the Barr Group Mortgage Financial Literacy Program to life. Known throughout the community for his energy and infectious enthusiasm, Jason was as devoted a friend as he was an advocate for local education.

In his honor, the Jason J Stephenson Impact Scholarship awards $1,500 to two graduating Gulf Shores High School seniors continuing on to college or a post-secondary technical program. As part of the application, students write a short essay about someone in the Gulf Shores City Schools community who reflects the same spirit Jason was known for — loyalty, generosity, enthusiasm, and heart — and how that person made a difference in their own experience as a student.