11-21-2007, 12:10 AM
Fairfax, Virginia - The National Rifle Association has selected three of its top Junior Members to receive the 2007 Outstanding Achievement Youth Award, recognizing them for their active participation in the community, the classroom, and the shooting sports. Overall, $10,000 in scholarship money was awarded to the winners thanks to a generous donation from Brownells, Inc., the world's largest supplier of firearms accessories and gunsmithing tools.
A $5,000 scholarship was awarded to first-place winner Juliann Terry, 18, of Newcastle, Wyo. A member of the Rapid City Rifle Club, Terry placed first in .22 rifle at the 2006 Wyoming 4-H Shooting Sports competition and later represented the state of Wyoming at the 2006 4-H Nationals, placing fifth in the country in smallbore competition. In addition to being a fine shooter, Terry is also active in her community, having presented the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program to local elementary school students and volunteering as a teen leader at 4-H workshops and summer camps in her home county. She excels in the classroom as well, sporting a 4.0 grade point average while playing clarinet in the Newcastle High School Band.
"Juliann exemplifies all of the qualities that we look for in awarding the Outstanding Achievement Youth Award," said NRA Youth Programs Manager Larry Quandahl. "She is an exceptional young person, one who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership qualities, complete dedication in the classroom, and an unwavering commitment to the shooting sports."
The second-place award and its accompanying $3,000 scholarship went to eighteen-year-old Scott Thomas of Poca, W.Va. Thomas, an NRA Life Member, is a member of the Putnam County Gun Club Junior Smallbore Team. He is a three-time smallbore competitor in the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, and he has served as a volunteer at numerous shooting camps. Thomas was selected to attend the 2006 Youth Education Summit (YES) in Washington, D.C., earning a hunting trip for his exceptional performance at the event. He hopes to one day shoot on the West Virginia University rifle team.
Jonathan Warhol, 16, of Leonardo, N.J., was the third-place winner, earning a $2,000 scholarship. Warhol is an apprentice NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor and has achieved the rating of Distinguished Expert in the shotgun course of fire of the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program. Warhol has distinguished himself on the skeet field, becoming the 2006 New Jersey Junior Champion in 28 gauge. An honor student at New Jersey's Mater Dei High School, Warhol teaches others the joys of shotgun shooting through the Women On Target® Program, youth day events, and the junior shooting program at the Central Jersey Rifle and Pistol Club.
All NRA Junior Members (or NRA Regular or Life Members under age 18) who are current members of an NRA-affiliated club or state association and who have completed one NRA Basic Firearm Training Course are eligible for the award. Applicants must also have earned at least one rating through the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and submitted three letters of recommendation, a copy of their school transcript, and a 1,000-word essay entitled, "What the Shooting Sports has Taught Me."
Aside from these core requirements, applicants must have participated in at least five NRA-sponsored programs. These elective requirements include presenting the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program, attending the Youth Education Summit, competing in the Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC), entering the NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest, or participating in the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, among others.
Applications for next year's Outstanding Achievement Youth Award are due at NRA Headquarters no later than May 1, 2008. To learn more about the program or how to apply, please contact NRA's Youth Programs Department at (703) 267-1505 or visit www.nrahq.org/youth/achievement.asp. To learn more about Brownells, Inc., visit www.brownells.com.
Media Contact:
Justin McDaniel, 703-267-1595
A $5,000 scholarship was awarded to first-place winner Juliann Terry, 18, of Newcastle, Wyo. A member of the Rapid City Rifle Club, Terry placed first in .22 rifle at the 2006 Wyoming 4-H Shooting Sports competition and later represented the state of Wyoming at the 2006 4-H Nationals, placing fifth in the country in smallbore competition. In addition to being a fine shooter, Terry is also active in her community, having presented the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program to local elementary school students and volunteering as a teen leader at 4-H workshops and summer camps in her home county. She excels in the classroom as well, sporting a 4.0 grade point average while playing clarinet in the Newcastle High School Band.
"Juliann exemplifies all of the qualities that we look for in awarding the Outstanding Achievement Youth Award," said NRA Youth Programs Manager Larry Quandahl. "She is an exceptional young person, one who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership qualities, complete dedication in the classroom, and an unwavering commitment to the shooting sports."
The second-place award and its accompanying $3,000 scholarship went to eighteen-year-old Scott Thomas of Poca, W.Va. Thomas, an NRA Life Member, is a member of the Putnam County Gun Club Junior Smallbore Team. He is a three-time smallbore competitor in the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, and he has served as a volunteer at numerous shooting camps. Thomas was selected to attend the 2006 Youth Education Summit (YES) in Washington, D.C., earning a hunting trip for his exceptional performance at the event. He hopes to one day shoot on the West Virginia University rifle team.
Jonathan Warhol, 16, of Leonardo, N.J., was the third-place winner, earning a $2,000 scholarship. Warhol is an apprentice NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor and has achieved the rating of Distinguished Expert in the shotgun course of fire of the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program. Warhol has distinguished himself on the skeet field, becoming the 2006 New Jersey Junior Champion in 28 gauge. An honor student at New Jersey's Mater Dei High School, Warhol teaches others the joys of shotgun shooting through the Women On Target® Program, youth day events, and the junior shooting program at the Central Jersey Rifle and Pistol Club.
All NRA Junior Members (or NRA Regular or Life Members under age 18) who are current members of an NRA-affiliated club or state association and who have completed one NRA Basic Firearm Training Course are eligible for the award. Applicants must also have earned at least one rating through the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and submitted three letters of recommendation, a copy of their school transcript, and a 1,000-word essay entitled, "What the Shooting Sports has Taught Me."
Aside from these core requirements, applicants must have participated in at least five NRA-sponsored programs. These elective requirements include presenting the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program, attending the Youth Education Summit, competing in the Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC), entering the NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest, or participating in the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, among others.
Applications for next year's Outstanding Achievement Youth Award are due at NRA Headquarters no later than May 1, 2008. To learn more about the program or how to apply, please contact NRA's Youth Programs Department at (703) 267-1505 or visit www.nrahq.org/youth/achievement.asp. To learn more about Brownells, Inc., visit www.brownells.com.
Media Contact:
Justin McDaniel, 703-267-1595