Three of the student athletes received sports camps scholarships from Tideland EMC to attend residential basketball clinics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.

Attending the boys’ UNC camp were Emmett Gallaher and Tom Van Der Have, Jr. Gallaher is a seventh grader at Ocracoke School. He is the son of Rebecca Gallaher. Van Der Have is the son of Tom and Brittany Van Der Have of Bath. He is a sixth grader at Terra Ceia Christian School in Pantego.

Attending the Lady Wolfpack Camp at NC State was Cora Walters, the daughter of Jessica Caldwell and Jeffrey Walters. She is a seventh grader at Ocracoke School.

Each of the student athletes had an opportunity to train with university staff and players through both individual and group instruction. On-campus housing and dining were provided for each Tideland scholar during their weeklong stay. Not only do the camps teach students new skills to use on the court, it also shows them the possibilities of attending college and furthering their education.

Scholarship applications open in January each year, with a March 31 deadline to apply. To be eligible, students must be rising sixth or seventh graders at a qualifying school in North Carolina. Applications are reviewed by each local electric cooperative and assessed using a variety of criteria — including academics, extracurricular activities and an essay.