Maryland Higher Education Commission

August 2008

For immediate release: August 19, 2008                         Media Contact: Christopher Falkenhagen
                                                                                                  Communications: (410) 260-4511

William Donald Schaefer Scholarship Ceremony to be Held

(Annapolis, MD) August 20, 2008 – Again this year, students across Maryland will receive scholarships named after a Maryland icon – William Donald Schaefer. The William Donald Schaefer Scholarship Program, administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, will award 25 eligible students with scholarships ranging from $1,000-$4,000. The scholarship is named for the former Baltimore City Council Member, Baltimore City Council President, four-term Mayor of Baltimore City, two-term Governor of Maryland and two-term Comptroller of Maryland.

The ceremony will take place in the Thomas V. Miller, Jr., Senate Office Building on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 4 p.m. Governor Schaefer has been invited to the event.

“There is no question that Governor Schaefer put his love for Maryland and Marylanders first,” Higher Education Secretary James E. Lyons, Sr., said. “He is the epitome of public service and I am pleased to see that the students who are receiving this award will help to honor this good man’s legacy by giving back to society in some ways that Governor Schaefer did for so many years of honorable public service.”

The name of each recipient including his or her field of study and the college or university the student is planning to attend includes:

Shana Beaston
Social Work
Salisbury University

Heather Bennett
Nursing
University of Maryland Baltimore County

Elena Bode
Environmental Education
University of Maryland College Park

Arthur Brown, Jr.
Leadership/Management
The Johns Hopkins University

Teresa Daigle
Nursing
Anne Arundel Community College

Jennifer Delinski
Early Childhood Education
Stevenson University

Joseph Eassa
History Education
University of Maryland Baltimore County

Ifeoma Eziefula
Nursing
Stevenson University

Kevin Frazier
Public Administration
University of Baltimore

Meghan Greeley
Nursing
The Johns Hopkins University

Katherine Hauser
Special Education
College of Notre Dame of Maryland

Keli Iannucci
Nursing
The Johns Hopkins University

Gloria Jones
Nursing Practice
University of Maryland Baltimore

Soo Kim
Math Education
University of Maryland College Park

Samantha Kirkwood
Early Childhood Education
Stevenson University

Cailey Locklair
Homeland Security Management
Towson University

Elizabeth-Ashley Matthews
Public Administration
University of Baltimore

Tammy Mayer
Education
Towson University

Sarah Norton
School Administration
The Johns Hopkins University

Karen O’Kennon-Lotridge
Social Work
University of Maryland Baltimore

Eileen Ondra
Nursing
Cecil College

Robin Ricks
Urban Education
Towson University

Aaron Sporik
Education Biology
Towson University

Andrea Torres
Reading Specialist/Special Education
Coppin State University

Autumn Wilkins
Nursing
Community College of Baltimore County

Each Schaefer scholarship student must be a Maryland resident, demonstrate financial need, plan to attend an eligible Maryland postsecondary institution and be enrolled full- or part-time in a course of study, training, or other educational activities designed to prepare them for a career in public service.

A recipient of the scholarship is required to sign a promissory note with MHEC that states he or she will meet graduation requirements and will then be employed in Maryland full-time in public service, one year for each year, or a portion thereof, that a payment of assistance under the program is made. If the conditions are not met, the award must be repaid with a fixed interest rate that matches the Federal Stafford Loan rate established in July of each year.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission is a 12-member coordinating board responsible for establishing statewide policies for Maryland public and independent colleges and universities and private career schools. It serves as an advocate for more than 326,000 college students in Maryland, for the State and its needs, and for business and industry in Maryland. MHEC awards nearly $110 million in grants and scholarships a year – and was fully funded by the O’Malley-Brown administration in this year’s budget -- to more than 58,000 students.

 

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