The family of 16 year-old, Olivia Dahl, released a statement to NBC26 about their daughter. Olivia and 69 year-old Ralph Keller were killed when their plane crashed into Peninsula State Park Sunday evening.
Here’s the family’s statement:
Our Olivia was a bright, talented, and kind young woman, who continually surprised us by her intelligence and sense of humor. We are finding out now that she touched more lives than we could ever have imagined, by the many communications we’ve received and people we’ve seen since the accident.
All of her life, she was the kind of person who, when she was truly interested in something, she learned all that she could about it, and flying was no different. Her instructor told us she was a natural at flying, was coming along extremely well in her lessons, and was very studious and prepared, which she very much appreciated as a teacher. Olivia was at a point where she was soon to take her first solo flight, and if there had been anything that could have been done to prevent the accident, Olivia would have known to do it.
As parents, we understood there would forever be risks to becoming a pilot. We would like for other young people in our community and beyond who have an interest in flying to not be deterred by what happened to Olivia, because accidents happen in life to people both young and old, and because if you never take any risks, you will never know the thrills and treasures life has to offer. Olivia chose an exciting path for herself, and went all in with that drive, intensity and fearlessness that is common to gifted people of all walks of life.
--Jennifer and Collin Dahl
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Here are two organizations the family would like people to honor Olivia thorough:
The Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth holds 2 and 3 week summer camps (depending on grade level) for academically gifted and talented students. Students live in the dorms, have RA's, eat in the cafeteria, attend 120 hours of instruction (in the high school grades) in a particular subject of their choosing. There are also many fun activities, and they get to explore campus and Madison a bit like college students. Really, it is a college experience in many ways, and especially because they get semester of a college level course compressed into three weeks. It is expensive, but a great value considering the staffing and other costs for running such programs, and considering the great things the students get from it. The grades in HS are transcripted as advanced placement courses at some HS's. Supporting programs like this fosters the creation of the next innovators, scientists, leaders.
Students who attend such camps (there are many around the country) benefit not only academically, but socially. Often, the gifted and talented kids are well beyond their age peers in school and don't really fit in. At WCATY, they are among people who are like them, have similar interests, etc. Some people call it nerd camp, but it's the nerds that change the world! Olivia always came back from camp with interesting stories and having had a blast.
The Friends of Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport put a scholarship program together and Olivia was the first recipient. They were paying for everything, except transportation to lessons-- and they said occasionally someone would be available to fly her down, shaving an hour of travel there and back. That was why she was in the plane Sunday night, Mr. Keller offered to take her. The Friends group was very excited that Olivia was going through the program, and they are all just as heartsick about what happened. Still and all, they feel as we do that young people who have the desire to learn to fly should take advantage of opportunities like this and not let something like this prevent them from going for it.
