One local student will be training alongside some of the best college athletes and coaches in the country this month, thanks to Edgecombe-Martin County EMC’s Touchstone Energy Sports Camp Scholarship program. These scholarships give middle school students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow their athletic abilities while also developing leadership skills and building lasting friendships.

Holden Lilley, a rising 6th grader at Bear Grass Charter School, was selected to attend the Carolina Basketball School—hosted by the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and led by Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis.
“Holden is an outstanding student, athlete, and community member,” said Monica Speight, Manager of Communication at Edgecombe-Martin County EMC. “We are proud to partner with North Carolina universities to help provide such a unique leadership and learning experience for our local students and future leaders.”
During the weeklong camp, Holden will join more than 50 electric cooperative scholarship recipients from across North Carolina. Students stay overnight in college dorms, attend practices led by collegiate coaching staff, and experience what it’s like to be a student-athlete on a university campus. Campers receive direct instruction on basketball fundamentals while also learning valuable life skills like communication, teamwork, and goal setting—skills that serve them well both on and off the court.

Each year, Edgecombe-Martin County EMC awards one scholarship for a rising sixth or seventh grade boy to attend the UNC-Chapel Hill camp and one for a rising sixth or seventh grade girl to attend the Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp at NC State University in Raleigh. While no applications were received for the NC State camp this year, we encourage interested students and families to apply in the future. The application window typically opens in December and runs through March each year.

Edgecombe-Martin County EMC is proud to support programs that empower our youth and promote educational growth.

Congratulations to Holden for earning this exciting opportunity and representing our community at basketball camp this summer!