2003 AMA/Charles Hampson Grant Scholarship Winners
Since 1970, the Academy of Model Aeronautics has provided scholarships to young men and women seeking to continue their education in colleges and universities. The primary awards are presented through the Charles Hampson Grant scholarships.
In 2003, four individuals received a portion of the $21,500 Charles Hampson Grant awards. These monies came from a variety of sources including gifts, memorials, and the AMA general fund. The top winner of the Grant award also receives an award provided by the Toledo Weak Signals from monies generated by the club's annual trade show and exposition. This year the Weak Signals contributed $4,000.
An additional scholarship program awarded funds this year. The Sig award, a memorial in honor of the late Glenn Sigafose, is presented by Hazel Sig-Hester and Sig Manufacturing Company. Presented to one or more individuals, the award is based upon financial need and aeromodeling activity. A total of $2,500 was awarded in 2003.
Forty-seven applications were evaluated by a four-member committee. The applicants were rated in several major areas, including:
- grade average
- test results
- school and community activities
- modeling activities
High achievement in all of the categories is important for the maximum amount of scholarship awarded to an individual.
Information regarding applications may be obtained from Jack Frost at AMA Headquarters or by visiting the AMA Education website at www.buildandfly.com.
Kolby Hoover
Kolby Hoover, a graduate of North Kitsap High School in Poulsbo, Washington, is the recipient of a $7,000 award from the Charles Hampson Grant scholarship fund and a $4,000 award from the Toledo Weak Signals. Kolby is enrolled at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Kolby was named class valedictorian as well as Outstanding Senior and was presented the Joe Shandera award, his school's most prestigious athletic award. Ranked first in a class of 485, Kolby attended Evergreen Boys State and was chosen Student of the Year in 1999–2000. He is a Washington State Scholar and received the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award.
Athletically, Kolby was named Athlete of the Season by the North Kitsap Herald. He participated in cross country and diving and was nationally ranked in the 300 intermediate hurdles (IH) in track and field. Kolby participated in track and field for six years, holds a school record in the 300 IH, and placed second and third in the 300 IH in various Washington State track competitions. He served as a volunteer coach for the Poulsbo Junior High track team in 2002–03, assisting with the sprint team and high jump.
A musician, Kolby has played French horn for eight years. He was a member of the top symphonic band at North Kitsap High School and was section leader in the Kitsap Youth Symphony. He was drum major in the marching band for two years and plays both acoustic and electric bass in a jazz combo that performs at social functions and contests. The combo won recognition at the Columbia Basin Jazz Festival for its rhythm section. Kolby played in the state solo and ensemble as part of a brass quintet for two years and one year as part of a horn trio. He has studied piano for six years, taking part in three recitals per year.
Since 1993, Kolby has been part of a Norwegian dance group that regularly performs for retirement home residents, senior centers, and elementary schools in Washington State and British Columbia. He is part of a church worship team that meets twice a week and a member of the orchestra playing for school plays.
Kolby's first radio control (RC) experience came when he was nine. He, his father, and his brother built a 1/2A Bellanca Cruiser that proved underpowered; they ended up with a broken plane and about one second of flying time. Undeterred, they built a Katydid for Kolby's brother with better luck and restored an old family airplane called the Miss Grandin, or the Flying Boat, which flew beautifully. The three joined AMA and the local club, the Olympic Radio Control Association (ORCA).
Kolby briefly abandoned the hobby after the Flying Boat crash, calling it the most traumatizing experience in his RC career. With his father's encouragement, he soloed the summer after seventh grade. His first model was a Sig Four-Star 40, built with his father's help, followed by his own Flying Boat, modified to look and operate like a smaller version of his dad's.
An ORCA member designed a GutterSnipe (made from PVC and foam insulation), and Kolby has spent much of his flying time with these aircraft. The club holds GutterSnipe pylon and combat races; Kolby placed fourth overall in one season. He has flown aerobatic aircraft and, with his dad and brother, is learning to fly helicopters. Projects include building a Marutaka P-38 Lightning and scratchbuilding an Aeronca Champion. Building has inspired Kolby to consider studying engineering or aerospace engineering at Cornell. He says modeling has brought him closer to his father and brother and that aeromodeling will be a lifelong hobby.
Jeffrey C. Smith
Jeffrey C. Smith, son of Bernie and Charlene Smith of Lincoln, Nebraska, was awarded a $5,000 Charles Hampson Grant Scholarship. A graduate of Lincoln High School, Jeff was 14th in a class of 720. He plans to major in aircraft systems management (a professional pilot major) at the University of Nebraska.
Jeff earned his private pilot's license in March and has enjoyed giving rides to family and friends. He has logged most of his time in a Cessna 152 and has some time in a Cessna 172.
Jeff first became involved in RC when his parents bought him a used Hobbico Superstar 40 trainer for his 13th birthday. He and his father joined AMA and the Lincoln Sky Knights R/C, where club members taught him to fly. The Superstar 40 crashed shortly after Jeff soloed, but since then he and his father have flown several other aircraft, including a Sig Hog biplane.
Active in Lincoln Sky Knights activities, Jeff helped raise funds for the club by flying a blimp at a Lincoln Stars hockey game. He and his father have begun participating in RC Combat; they engineered their own original scale design—a Japanese Jill torpedo bomber—with help from other combat fliers.
A member of the Radio Control Combat Association (RCCA), Jeff has flown competitively against nationally ranked fliers. He has done well in the national point standings and cites a second-place finish in Scale at the Waverly, Nebraska, Midwest Nationals as one of his greatest accomplishments. Jeff was asked to be the RCCA representative from Nebraska.
In high school, Jeff ran junior varsity and varsity track (800-meter, one-mile, and two-mile events) and junior varsity cross country. He helped raise money for both teams by working in concession stands during other school sports events. His teachers nominated him to serve on the March of Dimes Chain Reaction Leadership Council, a youth leadership group promoting the March of Dimes.
Math and science are Jeff's favorite subjects. He has been on the honor roll since his freshman year and has earned academic letters. A member of the National Honor Society, Jeff is active in the First Plymouth Church youth group, which volunteers at a local soup kitchen and undertakes annual mission trips. He volunteered at Camp Friendship, a camp for disabled people of all ages, calling it one of the most rewarding experiences of his life.
Jeff was involved in the Civil Air Patrol, where he practiced drill and ceremony, learned aerospace science and leadership skills, and trained for search-and-rescue and disaster-relief missions.
Jeff works part-time at HobbyTown USA in Lincoln as a sales associate, primarily in the RC department, helping customers and answering questions about RC aircraft, boats, and cars. His part-time earnings paid for his full-scale flying lessons, and his employee discount helped when buying hobby essentials. Now attending the University of Nebraska, Jeff joined the Platte River RC Model Club and is thrilled to have a place to fly while away from home.
We wish you well at the University of Nebraska, Jeff!
Colin D. Stuart
Colin D. Stuart, who is enrolled at Texas A&M University, was awarded a $5,000 Charles Hampson Grant scholarship. From Friendswood, Texas, he plans to major in chemical engineering. He has been accepted into the honors program and resides in the honors dormitory; he must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average to remain in the honors facility.
Colin was a 2003 National Merit Scholarship finalist, a 2002 semifinalist, and finished third in the Voice of Democracy speech contest. He was a finalist in the 1999 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, finishing 52nd out of 248 in Washington, D.C., and received an award for Outstanding Engineering Project at the South Texas Regional Science Fair.
Active in the Boy Scouts of America, Colin attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 2000. With the Scouts he participated in blood drives, hiking trail reconstruction, National Forest conservation, and beach cleanups. Through Venture Crew he participated in book drives, historic building restoration, camp facilities improvement, community service, and fundraisers. He also participated in Young Life and volunteered with Northgate Christian Fellowship.
A four-year 4-H participant, Colin raised show lambs and volunteered as a guide for livestock shows, ushering school children through exhibits. Other community activities included volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and tutoring math and grammar at a Boys and Girls Club.
Athletically, Colin was involved in tennis, cycling, water polo, and swimming. Part-time employment included working as a caterer's assistant and as a waiter at Perry's Grill and Steakhouse in Friendswood.
Colin described his entry into aeromodeling: a friend who was very into RC had about 20 planes. In 1998 he received a Goldberg Eagle II kit for Christmas. After buying his own radio and engine, Colin built the trainer and, after improving his skills, used a buddy box to teach his father and brother to fly. They continued to build and fly other aircraft, including a Tiger II, a Great Planes Giles G-202, a Sig Somethin' Extra, and a Great Planes Extra 300. He painted a Texas flag scheme on the wings of his Extra 300 and enjoys flying it.
Colin has shared most of his aeromodeling experience with his family, noting that modeling has brought his family closer together and provided years of enjoyment.
Best of luck at Texas A&M, Colin.
Jordan Wysong
Jordan Wysong received a Charles Hampson Grant scholarship in the amount of $4,500. He is attending Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, and plans to study aeronautical or biomedical engineering.
A graduate of Pana Township High School in Pana, Illinois, Jordan was class valedictorian with a 5.23 grade-point average on a 5.0 scale. He was an Illinois State Scholar, a member of the National Honor Society, a student council member, and was listed in Who's Who Among High School Students. Jordan was section leader in jazz band, marching band, and pep band, and played in the Prairie Winds Ensemble.
Jordan participated in the Bradley Bridge Pal contest and the C.C.I.S. Bridge Building contest. He placed first in regional and sectional competition in the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) Challenge and was a state finalist in 2002 and 2003. He is a member of the United States Mathematics Association, participated in school plays, and ran sound systems for most high school, junior high, and community events.
Jordan's interest in aeromodeling began in 1997 when he and his father bought an Almost Ready-to-Fly (ARF) Easy Fly 40. He and his father agreed to split the cost of airplanes equally. Jordan completed his solo flight and moved up to a Four-Star 60. He competed in several fun-fly events with the Four-Star 60, then moved to larger-scale aircraft, purchasing a 27% Midwest Giles G-202 and beginning practice for International Miniature Aerobatics Club (IMAC) competition.
Club activities Jordan has been involved in include fun-flys, a club swap meet, and planning and construction of a pavilion for the club's flying site. Jordan designed a memorial to be built at his high school commemorating the Pana Township High School that burned down; that project is awaiting funding.
Jordan became interested in engineering early, starting with architecture in seventh grade while helping his father design houses. In high school he enrolled in drafting classes and found he preferred the mechanical relationship to engineering. At Rose-Hulman, Jordan seeks internships with engineering firms to broaden his knowledge of engineering and manufacturing and to build a network of contacts for his career. He hopes to find employment in aerospace engineering and wrote that upon graduation he plans to seek employment with NASA or an aerospace firm working with NASA.
From all of us at AMA, good luck Jordan.
Krystal King
Krystal King, daughter of Larry and Jeanine King, graduated from Arkadelphia High School in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Krystal received a Sig award in the amount of $1,000. She is attending the University of Arkansas, majoring in mechanical engineering.
Krystal was ranked 24th in her class of 169 and was active in swimming, cross country, volleyball, basketball, soccer, and golf. She was a member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), where she served as state secretary. Krystal was a member of student council, Beta Club, was listed in Who's Who Among American High School Students, and was in the All American Scholars Program.
Krystal worked summers as a swimming coach and instructor, teaching all age groups and focusing on water safety for 5- and 6-year-olds. She wrote that teaching is the most rewarding job anyone could have and that it is a great feeling to watch children grow and gain confidence; one of her students won the high-points award at the championship after being unable to swim at the beginning of the year.
A control line pilot since age nine, Krystal has finished first 14 times and second 15 times at the National Aeromodeling Championships (Nats), in addition to numerous other national titles. A two-time F2A team member, she says her passion has always been for combat. Krystal finished third at the 2000 Control Line World Championships in Landres, France, and fifth at the 2002 World Championships in Sebnitz, Germany.
Referring to the Landres championships, Krystal wrote that standing on the podium with the American flag raised and receiving a third-place bronze medal was the proudest moment of her life. Representing AMA and the United States at a world championship was an unforgettable experience.
Krystal is the current U.S. record holder for F2A Junior/Senior Speed, a two-time North American Speed Society (NASS) Overall Junior/Senior Champion, and received a Distinguished Performance Award for International Competition. She was ranked 12th in 1998 and sixth in 2001 in the Miniature Aircraft Combat Association’s (MACA) Top 20 and was the Control Line Overall Category Champion in 1998.
In addition to competition, Krystal participates in the AMA History Program, which gathers and publishes biographies of aeromodelers to preserve their history for future generations. She also enjoys lighter experiments, such as when she and her father tried to build an airplane using a water bottle just to see if it would fly.
We at AMA wish you the best at the University of Arkansas, Krystal.
Carl Johann Engel
Carl Johann Engel, from Clear Lake, Wisconsin, is the recipient of a $1,000 Sig award. He plans to major in aerospace engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and possibly add a second major in mechanical engineering.
Carl was valedictorian of his class and was named Outstanding Student at Clear Lake High School. He was named one of five Northwest Educators’ Outstanding Students. Active in athletics, Carl was varsity football captain his junior and senior years, lettered in hockey and baseball, and was named his school’s Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association male scholar-athlete. He participated in concert and jazz bands, was nominated to attend Badger Boys State, and was on the quiz bowl team. He participated in Student-to-Student, a peer-advising group that raises funds for needy families, those in assisted living, and accident victims.
Carl is most proud of his involvement in Destination ImagiNation (DI), a creative problem-solving organization. His team competed in the structure problem, designing and building lightweight structures tested for weight-bearing ability. His team collected four consecutive state championships and two world championships. In 2000, Carl’s pasta-and-glue structure weighed 59 grams and held 650 pounds. The 2002 entry, built with balsa and Japanese tissue paper, weighed 6.8 grams and held 445 pounds.
He participated in Science Olympiad and the Wright Stuff, building an indoor rubber-duration aircraft that won the state title in 2003.
Carl has been interested in aviation as long as he can remember. After building tissue-and-balsa airplanes and control line models, he flew a friend's RC aircraft and was hooked. He received a Great Planes ARF for his 12th birthday and had it ready to go by spring 1997. By his third solo flight he moved up to a Sig Four-Star 40 and a Sig Hog-Bipe that won Honorable Mention in a Model Airplane News color-scheme contest.
Carl has built two Lanier Shrikes and a Diamond Dust and has experimented with rocket assist on the Shrike, creating an electronic ignition for the rocket engine. He managed several successful flights before losing a wing in midair. He has built a number of fun-fly aircraft including the Great Planes Giles 202 and a D&L Edge 40, and has flown over a dozen RC aircraft of nearly all types, including a helicopter.
To fund his hobby, Carl and a friend started a lawn-care business, The Lawn Hackers, beginning with borrowed equipment. After the friend moved away, Carl expanded the business, purchased mowers and a trailer, and learned responsibility, income and expense management, and other business skills. With income from the lawn-care business and working as a youth hockey referee in winter, Carl has purchased nearly all his RC aircraft and equipment himself.
Congratulations Carl, and good luck.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
