Jake Kurland was a young civilian aboard the USS Enterprise-D in 2364. Although a civilian teenager, he trained aboard the starship as a shuttle pilot, likely as part of his attempt to make it into Starfleet Academy. He missed out on getting the chance to take the final Starfleet Academy entrance exam by only 32 points, and as result became somewhat depressed. He stole the type 7 shuttlecraft Copernicus, intending to join a freighter on Beltane IX and asked Captain Picard to tell his father he's sorry but had to do this. However, the shuttle got into difficulties, and Kurland was almost killed.