W6EEN Memorial NCDXF Scholarship 2000 Awardee
Michael Crownover, AB5EB

I would like to thank the Northern California DX Foundation for awarding me one of their amateur radio scholarships. It will be put to good use as I pursue my doctorate in Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.

Now a little about myself. I have been a licensed amateur since the age of 12 and received my extra class at the age of 15. My main interest in ham radio has always been in DXing. I have 325 current DXCC entities confirmed, with my total count being 331. I have 270 countries on CW and only lack 16 more QSL cards on 80 meters to finish my 5BDXCC. The countries left that I need are VU4, 70, P5, 3YIB, and VP8SSI.

I also enjoy chasing IOTAs (Islands On The Air) of which I have over 600 confirmed. My IOTA activities include putting on seven IOTAs including a new one in Nicaragua (H75A) in which we made 7,000 QSO's in under 3 days. In 1999, 1 helped start the Island Radio Expedition Foundation, which helps fund expeditions to rare and new IOTA'S, much like what NCDXF does for the DXCC program. The organization now has over 50 members and is going strong.

I have a wonderful, supportive wife, and am a new father as well; our son, and future ham, was born July 24th of this year. Outside of school and radio I also enjoy kayaking and fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, and keeping and breeding tropical fish and Central American dart frogs. I look forward to working those last few DXCC countries, of which I am sure NCDXF will be a part of.

In closing, I would just like to reiterate my thanks for being awarded with the NCDXF scholarship for this year, and also to express my appreciation, as it will help tremendously with my school expenses for this year.

Thank you & 73's,

Michael Crownover
AB5EB