We are very pleased to announce that the Carolinas Balloon Association (CBA) Jo Cline Memorial Youth Camp scholarship has been awarded to Sammy Mathis. Sammy is the son of Travis and Amy Mathis and lives in Anderson, SC. He hopes to attend the Albuquerque Balloon Camp sponsored by the Balloon Federation of America,, July 7-12.

To win the scholarship Sammy had to write a one-page essay telling us why he wanted to attend balloon camp. He also had to have a written recommendation submitted by an active CBA member (and Jennifer Rees delivered a great one). These were submitted to our CBA board for a vote.

We’re proud of Sammy and excited that he will get this great opportunity. Here’s his essay, so you can get an idea of why the board felt he was ready and able for this experience.

“Hello my name is Sammy Mathis and I want to go to Balloon Camp in Albuquerque New Mexico. I want to attend camp because I want to become a hot air balloon pilot and stand up to my word of me being able to do whatever I wanted to be/do. I have been around ballooning my whole life and I feel it’s time for me to pursue my dreams.I want to learn while I am at balloon camp on how to properly do the fire extinguisher and learn much more about safety and what to do while in the air.I have had many different experiences with the crown line and I have had some fails at it and I have had some good times with it. Another reason I want to go to balloon camp is because balloon camp will help me become so much of a better pilot when I become a pilot.I look forward to finding much more interesting piloting experiences while at camp and I hope to be able to have fun but work hard at the same time. I want to attend balloon camp so that I can say that I have achieved my dreams and will keep them forever.I have many helpful people in my life that are saying that I need to become a pilot.When I turned 11 I knew ballooning was the sport that I wanted to do and ever since that year I have worked so hard to prove to people who didn’t think I could do it that I can. I want to go to camp so that people who didn’t believe in me will feel like they should have believed me in the first place.I look forward to attending camp this year and I will work very hard if I attend.”

Sammy, we are proud of you and will be watching closely to see the skills you gain at camp put into action. You have a great community of support behind you, that is proud of you and excited about you getting to go on this adventure. Make sure you take pictures and make notes and give us a report after camp!

Sammy Mathis attended the Rio Grande Balloon Camp 2018 in Albuquerque, NM and sent a thank you note expressing his appreciation and gratitude for the Carolinas Balloon Association scholarship. He and the other attendees are the next generation of our sport.