The Katelyn Joy Derstine Scholarship Fund, Inc., “Fly High Award,” was established in 2007 by Katelyn’s mother, Bambi Famous Kaine, as a tribute to the legacy and profound impact her daughter Katelyn had on the lives of many young adults in the Sarasota community in her twenty short years. Katelyn’s spirit was one of youth and vibrancy coupled with a spirit that transcended generations. Young and old were drawn to and inspired by the life and love of Katelyn.
Katelyn graduated from Riverview High School, Sarasota, Florida where her long list of leadership roles, activities, and honors included Highland Dancer, Homecoming Queen, and president of the Key Club. She was a violinist in both the Riverview Orchestra and the Florida West Coast Youth Symphony and a 2004 Sarasota debutante. Tragically, she lost her life all too soon in a car crash on June 15, 2006, as she began her junior year as an Environmental Horticulture student at the University of Florida. The “Fly High Award” was inspired by Katelyn's fondness for butterflies and her words surrounded by a butterfly drawing she created:
