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Through the Maryland Incentive Awards Program, the university recognizes and promotes achievement, community responsibility and leadership among young people who have not allowed the difficult challenges of their daily lives to deter them from pursuing success in school. Each student has demonstrated uncommon persistence, maturity and ingenuity to work long hours to help with family expenses, steer clear of drug dealers and neighborhood violence, or adapt to a new culture and new language.
At the heart of the program is the creation of an intimate community of students, advisors and faculty mentors that fosters the development of individual character, critical thinking and leadership. Students will receive full financial assistance for four years to attend Maryland. They will be expected to live on campus and participate in a variety of unique learning and leadership development activities. They will also be active in their high schools and communities as role models for future students.
The university encourages counselors at the target schools to conduct open, internal competitions to select nominees who meet the criteria for the award. Candidates must be graduating seniors who meet at least the minimum requirements for admission to the University of Maryland and also have significant financial need. A selection committee of corporate and community leaders and university alumni then interviews each nominee and selects finalists from each school. Applicants are compared only with others from the same school.
The award decision is based heavily on the students' demonstration of outstanding character, resilience, academic commitment, leadership, community involvement and perseverance in the face of adversity.
"This is not simply a scholarship program," says University of Maryland President C. D. Mote, Jr. "It's a commitment to help students succeed. We are offering an opportunity for students who, in many cases, have not dared to dream beyond their neighborhoods, to use the resources of the state's premier research university to become productive citizens of the world."
In addition to the Baltimore scholars, the five students from Prince George's County represent the first step to fulfilling Mote's vision to replicate the Incentive Awards Program throughout the state. The Baltimore pilot allowed the university to fully develop the program's infrastructure and prove that it could be successful.
Tonight’s honorees include:
From Baltimore City Public Schools: Keiyonna Brooks (Western High School), Elizabeth Cerezo (Northwestern High School, Baltimore City), T'Naija Dickens (Paul L. Dunbar High School), Robert Douglas (Baltimore City College High School), Jamece Hackett (Forest Park High School), Anastasia Hall and Thomas Palmerino (Digital Harbor High School), Amara Sillah (Baltimore Polytechnic High School) Michael Smoot (Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School).
From Prince Georges County Public Schools: Komi Akoumany (Central High School), De’Angela Boone (Fairmont Heights High School), Kareem Shakoor (Suitland High School), Antonio Tyson (Central High School), and Maria Vasquez (Northwestern High School).
Suzanne and Murray Valenstein will also be honored during the program. The Valensteins have made a highly generous commitment to establish an endowment that will ultimately support a substantial portion of the Baltimore component of the Incentive Awards Program. In addition, the Valensteins are bequeathing a very significant amount to endow merit scholarships for undergraduates throughout the University of Maryland.
In honor of the Valenstein's vision and generosity, the University is pleased to designate the Baltimore program as "The Suzanne G. and Murray A. Valenstein Baltimore Incentive Awards Program."
Contacts: Millree Williams, 301.405.4621, or Millree@umd.edu
or Cassandra Robinson, 301.405.9992, crobins@umd.edu