Samuel Ready Scholarships – Summer 2021 Newsletter
It has been a pleasure...
As an unprecedented academic year wraps up, so, too, does my term as president of Samuel Ready Scholarships, Inc. I am delighted to be able to continue on the board of trustees and hand over the torch to a very capable and wonderful group of leaders. In just a few days, Tea Carnell will be the new president, and I look forward to supporting her through our leadership transition.
I have enjoyed my time marshaling along this organization during a pandemic, but I do wish it would have been more "normal". But like many organizations have done, Samuel Ready used this time to do things differently in order to continue the work of our mission. We were able to "see" our wonderful scholars on Zoom for a trivia night and also for our spring tea. Trivia night is a "keeper"! The scholars and board members had a blast competing against each other on teams, and it was such a fun and relaxed way to get to know each other better. And while the tea is probably better in person, we were thrilled to be able to honor our winners, and especially our seniors. Our wonderful Events Committee created special goody boxes that were shared with each scholar prior to our Zoom event. Keep reading for more information on our annual awards.
You will also notice some "new" things--the newsletter format has changed and our website now has a new and fresh look. We had the great fortune of working with a non-profit organization called 48in48 to rebuild our website, which has not had an update since it was created in 2010. We were partnered with a group of volunteers from Slalom, a strategy, technology, and business transformation company. They spent the weekend of June 12th reshaping our online presence and getting to know more about Samuel Ready, and we could not be more grateful. When you get a chance, go take a peek.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve this wonderful organization. I am so inspired by our group of scholars and look forward to continuing to follow their progress. Hope you have a lovely summer and we will see you in the fall!
Sincerely,
Meredith Stewart
President
Awards presented at the virtual spring tea:
- Louise Myerberg Award is given to a Scholar who has exhibited exceptional creativity in the arts during Upper School. The award is named in honor of Mrs. Louise Myerberg, a Baltimore artist. — Ayanna R., Bryn Mawr School, has embraced many aspects of the Arts including visual, vocal and creative writing. Her artwork was displayed at the Frederick Douglass Isaac Meyers Maritime Museum and featured on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien. She is part of The Bryn Mawr School choir and a contributing member to the school’s literary magazine.
- Evalina & Harold Jones Award is given to a Scholar who has made significant or comprehensive contributions to her school. — Samiyah N., Roland Park Country School, has excelled in all her classes, as well as, contributing tremendously to many areas in her school community. She participated in many activities including Model UN, Black Student Union, Young Democrats Club, Runway Reds Club, Peer Health Educator, and Student Government Association among many other activities at her school.
- Mabel C. Hunter Award is given to a Scholar who has demonstrated exceptional service to the community. — Nissrin G., carried an advanced workload, as well as participated in many school activities during all her years at the Friends School of Baltimore. She was also engaged in several community activities including the Student Faculty Discipline Committee, a Peer tutor in Spanish and other subjects, and Community service at Advante Latina.
- Arthur D. Stebbins Award is given to a Scholar who has exhibited exceptional leadership. — Ty'Shea W., Garrison Forest School, balanced a demanding course load while remaining an active voice, organizer, leader and community member with regards to a number of campus groups at Garrison Forest School. She is active with Leadership Initiatives which is a non-profit leadership organization that focuses on connecting students to the professional world in the realms of business, medicine, law and national security. She continues to be the Team Lead in this same organization for the Public Health Internship Program.
- Sylvia Hacket Award is given to a Scholar in the ninth, tenth, or eleventh grade who has exhibited superior scholarship. — Gisselle H., Maryvale Preparatory School, is a self-starter and diligent worker who has maintained a high grade point average for a rigorous course load, including four honors classes. She has also volunteered to assist with school service projects and has continually sought out ways to be actively engaged in her school community amid COVID-19 restrictions. Despite her previous school closing and starting at a new school where she knew few people in the middle of a pandemic, Gisselle persevered.
- Frances S. Meginnis Award is considered the most prestigious of the annual awards and is presented to a graduating, senior Scholar who has exhibited superior Scholarship with contributions to school, community service and leadership. — Serena C., The Bryn Mawr School, has had many leadership and community roles, including: All School Vice President, Black Student Union President, 10th Grade Class President, Founder of the American Sign Language Club, MLK Day Planning Committee, Middle School tutor, and Camp St. Vincent volunteer. Last year she was the recipient of B.E.S.T.’s Stanley I. Panitz Award, which is presented annually to a young woman and young man at the conclusion of their junior year of high school, in recognition of their academic achievement, their demonstrated leadership in both their school and the broader community, and their strength of character. Bryn Mawr describes her as “a gifted leader and student who works to her full potential, contributes fully to her community and focuses on success and giving back”.
