AMA News 2009 Scholarship Recipients- 2010/02

February 2010 147
AMA News
Announcements, news, and information from the
Academy of Model Aeronautics and the elected district representatives.
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 2009, six individuals received a portion of the $34,300
Charles Hampson Grant awards. These monies came from a
variety of sources including gifts, memorials, and the AMA
general fund.
A year ago, AMA took an additional step to sustain the
scholarship program by establishing a Scholarship Endowment.
This further supports student success and opportunity by creating
a permanent fund for scholarships and safeguarding the promise of
an education for future generations.
By giving to the Scholarship Endowment, you will help create
a permanent fund for student scholarships, helping to ensure that
more students have the opportunity to realize their potential.
Invest in the future of young aeromodelers and help them prepare
for the challenges of tomorrow.
The top winner of this year’s Grant awards also received a
scholarship provided by the Toledo Weak Signals from monies
generated from the club’s annual trade show and exposition. This
year the Weak Signals contributed $1,500.
In its third year, the Telford Scholarship, honoring the late
Cliff Telford, is based on participation in competition activity in
the AMA and FAI classifications including national and worldclass
competition. This year’s award was $5,000.
This year, 15 applicants met the established criteria and were
considered by the committee. Evaluated by a four-member
committee, the applicants are rated in several major areas
including grade average, test results, school and community
activities, and modeling activities. High achievement in all of the
categories is important for the maximum amount of scholarship
awarded to an individual.
Again this year, the committee members were extremely close
to one another in their evaluations of the applications. Six students
were granted awards this year and $40,800 was awarded in all.
The students’ planned majors include materials science,
aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical
engineering, and biomedical engineering.
Information regarding applications may be obtained from April
Hathaway at AMA Headquarters or from the AMA Education
Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/education.aspx. The deadline
for applying for next year’s scholarships is April 30, 2010.
If you would like to support the growth of the Education
Endowment, please contact April at (765) 287-1256, extension
516, or e-mail her at [email protected].
2009 Scholarship Recipients
Kyle Jones
Kyle Jones from Avon Lake, Ohio, was
awarded $7,400 from Charles Hampson
Grant funds, received $1,500 from the Weak
Signals Award, and was the recipient of a
$5,000 Telford Scholarship.
Introduced to the hobby by his father,
who learned from his father, Kyle began
flying when he was 10 and attended his first
Nats in 2000. Beginning with Catapult and
Hand-Launched gliders, he soon took an
exceptional interest in Towline Gliders or
F1A and F1H in FAI competition.
Mentored by veteran FF modelers Brian
Van Nest, Jim Parker, and others, Kyle’s
skills increased and he began attending
contests across the US. He tried out for and
made the US Junior team that competed in
the 2006 World Championships in Germany.
He placed ninth that year and the US Juniors
won the team championships in F1A and
overall!
He earned a place on the 2008 Junior
team and made the flyoffs at the World
Championships in Ukraine, again placing
ninth individually. The F1A team took
second place and the US Juniors again won
the overall team championships.
Kyle holds the National Junior Record
for duration in F1H. He has placed well in a
number of competitions including the
America’s Cup and Max Men International.
Kyle graduated in the top 10 of his class
at Saint Ignatius High School with a 4.37
weighted grade point average, taking a
number of honors and advanced-placement
classes. He joined the school’s rowing team
in his freshman year and devoted many
hours in the early mornings and after school
for practice. Crew became a passion for
Kyle. He medaled in the Midwest Scholastic
Rowing Championships, contributed to three
Overall Men’s Team Points Trophies in the
Midwest, and raced twice at the National
Rowing Association of America’s National
Championships.
Kyle has participated in a number of
charitable causes including the Mission
Collection Committee, Christmas food
drives, and volunteering at a local hospital
assisting patients attend Mass. He is a
student member of a Pallbearers Society, a
group that organizes people to serve as
pallbearers for poor and homeless people.
On a mission trip to the Dominican
Republic, Kyle lived with a rural family and
helped with many community projects. He
has also participated in the Labre Ministry to
the Homeless, sharing food and friendship
with homeless people in Cleveland, Ohio.
He was a member of the National Honor
Society and was recognized with the Saint
Michael’s College Book Award for
Scholarship and Service.
Kyle will be attending Boston University
and plans to study biomedical engineering.
Best of luck to you in college, Kyle!
Powell Brown
Powell Brown of Silver City, New
Mexico, was awarded $6,300 from the
Charles Hampson Grant Scholarship funds.
Powell, who graduated from Silver High
School with a 3.96 grade point average out
of a possible 4.0, was elected the vice
president of the Silver Wings R/C Aero
Modelers in 2006.
He serves as a club training instructor,
introducing peers to RC. “I believe the most
important part of model aviation is sharing
with others the knowledge and enjoyment
this hobby brings,” Powell wrote. “I have
been given so much by other modelers, that
the only way I can give back is through
giving my knowledge to others.”
Powell first discovered modeling as a
small child, but it wasn’t until he was older
that he began visiting a nearby club where
Art Fuerstenberg, Powell’s mentor, took him
under his wing and began teaching him to
fly Art’s Senior Telemaster.
Powell’s family moved before he had a
chance to solo, so he began experimenting
with small balsa gliders, stick-and-tissue
models, and back yard gliders on his own.
He purchased a two-channel park flyer and
tried to teach himself to fly. Powell finally
soloed a glow-powered airplane during a
visit to Art in 2004. The following year, Art
gave Powell the Modeltech Magic on which
he soloed and a Great Planes SlowPoke.
Powell’s family moved to Silver City
and he joined the Silver Wings R/C club. In
addition to the Magic and SlowPoke, Powell
flies a Goldberg Tiger and is learning to fly
helicopters.
Among his other interests, Powell has
developed an interest in collecting and
researching glass insulators and bottles,
researching how the telegraphic and power
lines helped shape the western moovement
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148 MODEL AVIATION
and industrialization of our country. He has
worked part-time as a draftsman creating
accurate CAD drawings of glass piano
insulators and writing articles for Crown
Jewels of the Wire magazine.
In school, Powell participated in Science
Olympiad, Supercomputing, and Science
Fairs. He attended the INTEL International
Science and Engineering Fair in Reno,
Nevada, and took several classes at the local
college including pilot ground school.
Powell plans to attend the New Mexico
Institute of Mining and Technology and
major in mechanical engineering. Best
wishes for a successful career and
congratulations!
Timothy Collard
Timothy Collard of Olathe, Kansas, is
the recipient of a $5,900 Charles Hampson
Grant Scholarship from the AMA
Scholarship program. Tim is the son of
Daniel and Karen Collard. He plans to
continue his education at Missouri
University of Science and Technology, and
will study electrical engineering.
A graduate of Olathe Northwest High
School, Tim graduated in the top five of his
class of 375, with a perfect 4.0 unweighted
grade point average. In high school, he was
active in Battlebots and Scholar’s Bowl, a
team jeopardy trivia competition, and FIRST
Robotics. FIRST stands for For Inspiration
and Recognition of Science and Technology,
and was founded in 1989.
Tim captained the Scholar’s Bowl team
that placed third in state competition. He
served as an officer and chairman of the
electrical department and programming
department of the FIRST Robotics Team
1710 that qualified for international
competition in Atlanta, Georgia, during his
sophomore and senior years.
Tim was inducted into the National
Honor Society in his junior year and
maintained membership throughout his
senior year. He was named a National Merit
Commended Scholar for his score on his
PSAT, an Advanced Placement Scholar, and
a Kansas State Designated Scholar.
Throughout high school, Tim
participated in the Aerospace and
Engineering Program, a pre-engineering
program at his school that focuses on many
of the mathematical and scientific principles
behind engineering. It introduces students to
the fundamentals of design through
AutoCAD and a project-oriented
curriculum.
In one of these classes, students designed
and built an FF model using the Wright
Stuff competition guidelines. Tim recorded
the best flight time in his class.
In addition to Tim’s scholastic
accomplishments and activities, he
volunteered with a local food kitchen, the
Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, a
local branch of Catholic Charities,
engineering and science camps, and
mentored three FIRST Lego League Teams.
In addition to his volunteer work and
school activities, Tim maintained an
internship at Kiewit Power Engineers as an
electrical/instrumentation and controls
design intern. He was promoted to a full
designer and worked in the information
technology department within the
corporation.
Coming from a family of modelers, Tim
has been flying since he was 14 years old.
His father, sister, and mother are all
members of AMA.
Tim began learning to fly at the Shawnee
Mission Radio Control Club, which held
designated training nights on Tuesdays. Tim
went beyond these, and worked with club
instructors more frequently. He soloed on
his NexStar within a few months, and
progressed through several different models,
including a Sig Somethin’ Extra. He now
flies an electric Great Planes Edge 540.
Congratulations, Tim, and good luck at
Missouri University of Science and
Technology.
Wesley Rieth
Wesley Rieth of Three Oaks, Michigan,
received a $5,900 Charles Hampson Grant
scholarship. He is enrolled in Hope College
in Holland, Michigan, and plans to pursue a
degree in engineering.
A graduate of River Valley High School,
Wesley was active in band and choir, as well
as theater. He participated in his high school
marching band and concert band for four
years and was section leader of the
drumline. Wesley was chosen to participate
in the Michigan School Band & Orchestra
Association’s District All-Star Band and
performed with the Albian College High
School Honors Band and the Hope College
High School Honors Band.
Wesley was a vocalist in his high school
Chamber Choir, and participated in a
number of Solo and Ensemble events. He
was chosen twice to be a member of the
Southwest Michigan Vocal Festival Honors
Choir. In 2008 Wesley was the recipient of
the prestigious Arion Award for his
outstanding participation in band and choir.
He was a member, and later president, of
his National Honor Society and was elected
to be a representative of his high school
student congress. Wesley also played
baseball and soccer, and was active in the
school’s drama club.
Wesley assisted with his church’s afterschool
daycare program and worked as the
church’s audio-visual technician. He also
served on the Harbert Community Church
Worship and Arts Committee. Wesley
coached youth soccer and participated in the
Berrien County Youth Fair, the largest youth
fair in the Midwest, for a number of years,
exhibiting poultry, plants, and art. He was
chosen Youth Fair King in 2008.
Wesley’s aeromodeling interests began
when he was in elementary school and could
see models flying from the school. He
attended the local club’s open houses and
was determined to learn more about
aeromodeling.
A member of the club who attended
Wesley’s church gave him a .40 trainer and
began teaching him to fly. Wesley joined
AMA and the Whirlwinds of Southwest
Michigan and soloed the following summer.
He has since built and flown a Hangar 9
Pulse XT40, a Hangar 9 Funtana X100, and
a Treneff RC Battle Axe SSC kit.
Wesley has helped the club with field
maintenance, open houses and fly-ins, and
mall shows. He wrote, “My experiences I
have gained through being a part of the
Whirlwinds of Southwest Michigan will
stick with me for the rest of my life.
“Although I didn’t realize it at the time,
my love of flying model airplanes wasn’t the
reason I spent money on them. It was the
camaraderie, endless tinkering, and the
sharing of helpful ideas—not the actual
flying—that has kept me in the hobby for so
long and the reason I still participate in it
today.”
Good luck and congratulations on your
successes, Wesley!
Matthew Kudija
Matthew Kudija of Templeton,
California, is the son of David and Karen
Kudija, and has two younger sisters. A high
achiever, Matthew earned his Eagle Scout
badge while still in the eighth grade, and
received his private pilot’s license two days
after his 17th birthday.
Matthew joined the Civil Air Patrol in
eighth grade and now holds the rank of
Cadet First Lieutenant. He served as
Squadron 103 Cadet Commander from
March 2006 to 2007.
In the Scouts, Matthew was the
American Legion Scout of the Year for the
Department of California and, among other
honors, he was a member of the National
Advanced Youth Leadership Experience
staff and participated in the 2007 World
Scout Jamboree as a Senior Patrol Leader.
Scouting also gave Matthew a chance to
hone his model-aviation skills. “I was
working on the aviation merit badge at the
time,” he wrote, “and having been interested
in flying and aviation for a number of years,
decided to pursue model aviation.”
After some research and a visit to a local
club, Matthew bought and assembled a
glow-powered trainer. He experimented
with various modifications including a
detachable, servo-operated bomb bay, a
servo-operated camera mount, and other
control-surface mixing techniques.
He built a small flying wing that he could
fly at home and used the aircraft as a test
bed for his eighth grade Science Fair project,
which examined the effects of various CG
locations and propeller dimensions on
maximum cruise speed.
“I am an aspiring engineer,” he wrote,
“and therefore my most rewarding modeling
activities have been with planes that I have
designed myself.” The first such aircraft was
a small, scratch-built sailplane that he built,
which fulfilled the requirements for his
model designing and building merit badge.
Matthew graduated from Mission
College Preparatory School with a 4.49
grade point average out of a possible 4.55.
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He received departmental awards in social
sciences and in science in high school, and
was honored with the Bob Yetter
Athletic/Community Spirit Award.
Matthew was co-captain of the varsity
soccer and volleyball teams and was
Robotics Club president and team captain.
Academically, Matthew was a commended
student in the National Merit Scholarship
program.
He was student director of Campus
Ministry, organizing and leading campus
ministry including liturgies, prayer services,
retreats, and community service. Matthew
has also worked at a local kitchen helping
provide meals for the poor and participated
in other fund-raisers.
Mathew received a $4,400 Charles
Hampson Grant scholarship. He is studying
aerospace engineering at the University of
Notre Dame. From the Academy and its
members, best of luck, Matthew.
Joseph Triska
Joseph “Joey” Triska received $4,400
from the Charles Hampson Grant funds. A
homeschooled student from near Estacada,
Oregon, Joey attends Cornell University
with an intended major in materials science,
a field linked with aeronautics and avionics.
“Aircraft coatings, polymer composites and
electronic materials for flight systems all
come out of this area of research,” he wrote.
Joey’s other interests include
nanotechnology and organic
semiconductors.
Joey is a founding member of the
Performing Arts Group of Estacada. He has
written, acted in, performed music for, and
helped produce published and original plays
for the last eight seasons. He was active in
the drama and music departments at the
local high school, earning recognition as
Student of the Year in Drama, Best Actor,
Outstanding Senior Actor, and Most Likely
to Succeed in Theater.
He was also a member of an a capella
quartet that performed music of the British
Isles and was selected for the Strangeland
Family Youth Choral Academy at the
Oregon Bach Festival.
Joey is a certified SCUBA diver and a
member of Scuba Schools International. He
is a member of the Portland area Robotics
Society and participated in the PDXBot
Robotics Expo where he built and
customized mini-sumo autonomous linefollowing
battle robots.
Joey has been an AMA member since
1998 and is a member of the Fun Flyers RC
club. He began by helping his father build
and repair aircraft. He wrote, “As I grew
older, the challenges grew more interesting
and diverse, and I learned a skill less
obvious than simply building and flying:
that of risk management, a tool priceless to
an engineer.”
Joey generally attends and competes in
area fun-flys and has achieved a couple of
first-place finishes. His aircraft include a
Bergen Intrepid, a Raptor 30, a .40 Eagle,
and he is learning to fly his father’s Furion.
He has helped cook at club functions and
assisted with field maintenance and mowing.
Along with his brothers and father, Joey
helped design and build their own electrical
system monitor. More than two years went
into designing, prototyping, and testing the
VoltMagic RC volt monitor. “I worked on
most aspects of the design,” Joey wrote,
“including optimization of trace paths in the
circuit board layout, initial program flow
programming, and even product packaging
and design.”
Joey credits model aeronautics as much
as regular schooling for preparing him for
the rigors of higher education and beyond.
Congratulations, and good luck in your
future!