As the hot air balloon pilots, or aeronauts, prepare for the 2024 Great Reno Balloon Race in September, ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno students prepare for the start of the fall semester. This year, four students will find themselves lifted up by the iconic race and the work of the University Balloon Race Scholarship Committee.
Each year the committee awards two scholarships. This year, however, the committee raised enough funds to award a record four students with scholarships; two undergraduate students and two doctoral students.
The University Balloon Race Scholarship Committee has been in existence since 1986 and has been awarding scholarship funds since the early 1990s. The University Balloon Race Scholarships have been distributed each year since 1999. Funds are raised through an annual raffle and by selling the custom committee pin.
Nathan Carrillo
Nathan Carillo, born in Reno, ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, is beginning his final year as an undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work. Carillo is passionate about mental health and the well-being of others. Outside of school, he enjoys taking pictures with various cameras and volunteering at the best place in town, as he describes it, The Holland Project. Additionally, he enjoys spending quality time with friends and family. Carillo hopes he will soon earn a position that can further help bring his community together and strengthen relationships.
“I am deeply honored to have been selected as the recipient of the Balloon Races Scholarship,” Carillo said. “Your generous support will significantly impact my academic journey and help me achieve my goals.”
Jeana Miller
Jeana Miller is currently working towards her Ph.D. in human development and family science. She has been in education for 15 years and is continuing her professional career and leadership in this area.
“Receiving this scholarship not only alleviates financial burdens but also continues to verify my commitment to advancing knowledge in human development and family science,” Miller said. “I am truly honored to be recognized among a group of talented scholars and am inspired to contribute meaningfully to my field.”
Miller describes looking forward to working with an amazing team as the principal of Alice Smith Elementary and supporting the community of students to grow all students academically, socially and emotionally, and within their own leadership capabilities. In the future she plans to support our local community in the area of education and human development.
Jeannette Musa
Jeanette Musa is a second-year student majoring in public health. Her goal is to attend graduate school and become a physician assistant (PA). Growing up in a low-resource community in Africa, Musa developed a strong desire to help people, and pursuing a career as a PA aligns perfectly with her aspiration to work in a hospital setting.
“This scholarship means a great deal to me and will significantly impact my academic journey,” Musa said. “It will provide me with the financial support I need to fully immerse myself in my studies and extracurricular activities without the constant burden of financial concerns.”
Musa currently volunteers at a food pantry and is working towards obtaining a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate to start working in a hospital. In her free time, Musa enjoys playing volleyball and tennis and watching movies and TV shows.
Sara Perez
Sara Perez is a second-year Ph.D. student in public health, specializing in social and behavioral health, and aspires to become a professor and researcher. Her current research aims to contribute to evidence-based, equitable policy to hold industries and employers accountable for offering stable work arrangements, livable wages and benefits to the workforce.
“Coming from an underserved community in rural Northern ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, I am deeply appreciative of the profound impact a college education has not only on an individual, but an entire community,” Perez said. “Scholarship donors within the community, like your scholarship committee, provide students like me the opportunity to pursue higher education, become an integral part in the community and indulge in the endless possibilities for a better, brighter future.”
In her free time, Perez volunteers at Amplify Life, a non-profit dedicated to serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
