2005 BECA Scholarships
Award Winners at
Pictured l-r standing: Shannon Goewey (Leonardtown), Ashleigh Vines (Chopticon), Kyle Simpson (Leonardtown), Nkemdiche Elele (Leonardtown), Nicholas Diaduk (Great Mills), Sarah Taggart (Leonardtown), Mary Beth Bounds (Great Mills)
l-r sitting: Jennifer Armstrong (Leonardtown), Tony Matthews (Leonardtown), Pamela Muscher (Chopticon), Emilie Hunt (Great Mills)
not pictured: Gina Dowdell (Chopticon), Elizabeth Kurtz (Chopticon 2003, deferred award)
Photographer: Valerie Nyce,
A more "thoughtful" take of these young scholars…
2005 BECA Scholarship
Student Profiles
An incredible crop of students this year... 12 awardees (most ever) including 3 Eagle Scouts, SGA President, Sr. Class President, Valedictorian, Mr. Leonardtown, 3-sport student athletes with SMAC honors, but also 3 that came from Christmas in April (one with paint in hair), also a Relay for Life team captain, another who started a Vegetarian Club (Peer Development Program), another that enjoys hanging out with her 8yr-old kid sister who calls her “Emmy,” finally, a first-in-the-family college-bound student. In other words, not only an accomplished, but very principled and giving group of young adults. There is still much hope in the world!
Very diverse interests: engineer, computer scientist, biologist, chemist, pharmacy and medicine, business, artist, language specialist, and teacher attending schools in 6 states. Also very diverse in need: family incomes ranged from under $50,000 to over $200,000, some with 3 dependents in college.
Gina Dowdell, Chopticon: College of
What did you learn about yourself when putting your Sr. Portfolio together? “I’m overextended, parents have drilled commitment into me.”
Pamela Muscher, Chopticon: University of Mary Washington (VA), Sports Medicine, will also play basketball, All-Varsity Senior Award, inducted into NHS as a Senior
What did you learn about yourself...? “I’ve accomplished a whole lot, plus the personal satisfaction of knowing.”
Ashleigh Vines,
Chopticon:
What did you learn about yourself...? “The broad diversity of activities.”
Mary Beth Bounds, Great Mills: McDaniel College (MD),
French, AFS exchange student to
What did you learn about yourself...? “How much accumulated activities and experiences, e.g., 2pg resume.”
Nicholas Diaduk, Great Mills: Elizabethtown College (PA), Computer Engineering, Eagle Scout, Engineering Club - chief designer of the “Green Hornet” battery-powered car
What did you learn about yourself...? “It was very hard to assemble a resume, there was just too much there.”
Emilie Hunt, Great Mills: Drexel University (PA), Biology, lives in Tall Timbers and redistricted - could have gone to Leonardtown but chose to stay at Great Mills. Grandmother was ovarian cancer victim when Emilie was 9yrs old - committed to become an oncologist
What did you learn about yourself...? “Never realized how much I did, especially random things like earning “loudest award” in soccer.”
Jennifer Armstrong, Leonardtown:
What did you learn about yourself...? “How very important art is in everything. For example reading Canterbury Tales inspired art.”
Nkemdiche “NK”
Elele, Leonardtown: University of
What did you learn about yourself...? “How well-rounded experiences at LHS are, a lot of interests.”
Shannon Goewey, Leonardtown, Mount St. Mary’s University, Elementary Education, Relay for Life Team Captain, first in family to attend college (mom drove her to the interview)
What did you learn about yourself...? “Actually involved in much more than I thought (e.g., French Club, plays, etc.)”
Tony Matthews,
Leonardtown:
What did you learn about yourself...? “Confirmed how very busy I was: coached soccer team, special Olympics, lots of community service.”
Kyle Simpson,
Leonardtown:
What did you learn about yourself...? “That I’ve always been helpful, especially community service.”
Sarah Taggart, Leonardtown: University of Maryland Baltimore County, Pharmaceutical Sciences, came from work (St. Mary’s Hospital last 2yrs)
What did you learn about yourself...? “It made me recognize my strengths. I originally had an interest in art, then realized math and science pointed me to technical majors and chose pharmacy.”
2003 Deferred Award
Elizabeth
Kurtz,
Checks/Cash received (through
5/19/05):
$500 St. Mary's Hospital (Alan Buster)
$250 Anteon Corporation (Dennis England)
$100 Mercantile Southern Maryland Bank (Jane Phillips)
$100 Educational Systems FCU (Melanie Mattingly)
$100 Todd Allen, DDS, Towne Dentistry
$100 Joe Drury, Combs and Drury Insurance Agency
$100 Tom Hodges, Tom Hodges Auto Sales
$100 Phil Riehl, State Farm Insurance Agency
$100 Joseph Ernest Bell II, Attorney
$100 ViJay Grover, Leonardtown Sunoco
$100 Jane Sypher, individual donation (CSM retired)
$100 Aspiring Sisters Book Club (Gina Bowman-Goldring, CSM)
$100 Andrea Bowman, individual donation (CSM alumna)
$100 Barbara Scotland, individual donation (CSM)
$100 Amelia F. Von Gohren, individual donation (CSM)
$100 CSM Leonardtown Campus (individual donations)
$100 Cedar Point Federal Credit Union
$75 Printing Press, Inc.
$50 Bobby Lindsley, A Moment in Time Farm
$50 Breton Office, Mercantile Southern Maryland Bank (individual donations)
$30 Nina Graves (CSM)
$25 Sean and Tina Berry (CSM), TSB Technologies LLC
22 gifts totaling
$2,480
This brings the total BECA scholarship fund to $10,000 enabling 13 awards of $750 each
Note: CSM
Leonardtown-related donations (faculty, staff, present and retired, and alumni)
totaled $655, single largest organizational contribution.
2005 Thank You
Letter
