Livingston Teen Earns Prestigious ‘Amelia Earhart Award’

LIVINGSTON, NJ — A Livingston teen has earned a prestigious Amelia Earhart Award from the Civil Air Patrol.

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Curtiss-Wright Composite Squadron recently hosted a promotion and awards ceremony to recognize three outstanding cadets, including Claire Gao, 16, a student at Livingston High School.

Other awardees included Jackson Fleming, 17, of Basking Ridge, and Shriaansh Sharma, 17, of Wayne.

The Amelia Earhart Award honors the legacy of the pioneering aviator and marks a significant milestone in the CAP Cadet Program. Recipients must pass comprehensive exams on aerospace and leadership and gain eligibility for the International Air Cadet Exchange.

The simultaneous achievement by three members of a single unit is a rare event, organizers said. Fewer than 5 percent of the 32,000 cadets across the nation achieve the honor, which requires “sustained excellence in leadership, aerospace, fitness and character.”

Here’s what earned Gao an award this year, according to the CAP:

• Leadership - Gao serves as the squadron Operations Officer and has been named Cadet of the Year three times. (Phase I, Phase II, Phase III)
• Academic Excellence - A student at Livingston High School, she achieved a near-perfect ACT score of 35 and is a member of four national honor societies
• Community Service - She is the founder and director of FuturePath Academy, a nonprofit that has raised nearly $9,000 for charity
• Public Speaking - A finalist in the 2025 National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) qualifiers, she also serves as a head debate teacher
• Technical Leadership - As captain of her school's robotics team, Gao led the group to qualify for states and win the Inspire and Motivate awards. She was selected as a dean's list semi-finalist and also led the CyberPatriot team to two second-place finishes in New Jersey.

The awards and promotions were presented by New Jersey Wing Commander Colonel Amy Myzie, Group Commander Lt. Col. Jimy Menoutis, and Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Carol McCloud.

The Curtiss-Wright Composite Squadron is a local unit of the Civil Air Patrol with 62 cadets and 32 adult members residing in West Orange, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, East Hanover, Fairfield, Livingston, Morristown, Parsippany, Roseland, and Wayne.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.