Two hundred thirty-four outstanding African-American and black students from Montgomery County Public Schools are recipients of this year’s awards from the STAR (Stand Tall and Reach) Scholarship Foundation. The awards will be presented at the Seventh Annual STAR-Montgomery Awards Luncheon on Saturday, June 14 at the Universities at Shady Grove. The guest speaker will be Dr. Tony Hawkins, an instructional dean for Montgomery College.

One hundred eighty-nine students received awards of either $1,000 or $250, for a total of $123,750. An additional 45 students received certificates of merit. Scholarship recipients maintained a minimum 3.0 grade point average and participated in extracurricular activities such as community service or employment. Students submitted an application, essay, and recommendations, and the finalists were interviewed.

The STAR Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation that was started and initially funded in 1992 by Paul Peck.  STAR is all volunteer and over 98% of all money goes to scholarships.  Mr. Peck has extended STAR into Washington DC; Oakland, CA; Richmond, VA; and Arlington County, VA.  To date, the STAR Scholarship Foundation has awarded over $1,010,000 in merit scholarships and merit awards.

STAR Scholarships are provided for both academic and vocational education. They are based on merit and the competition is intense. African-American and black high school students can compete annually for scholarships in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades, giving them the potential to earn up to $3,000 toward their education, by winning the scholarship for three consecutive years. When a student wins a scholarship, the money is held in trust by the STAR Scholarship Foundation until the student enrolls in an accredited college or trade school.

Program founder and benefactor Paul Peck, a local philanthropist who serves as chair and chief executive officer of the STAR Scholarship Foundation, provided the original seed money for the program in Montgomery County. Additional funding is generated by the STAR Montgomery Advisory Board. MCPS provides administrative assistance, along with Montgomery College.

“Education works,” said Paul Peck. “It is the foundation of skills, self-esteem and self-confidence. I created STAR to demonstrate to African-American students that there is hope, the community cares, and studying pays.” In 2002, Mr. Peck expanded the STAR initiative by creating and funding STAR Merit Awards to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.

For more information about the STAR Scholarship awards program, please call Dr. Clarice Somersall of Montgomery College at 240-567-1702; e-mail clarice.somersall@montgomerycollege.edu.

2008 STAR Award Recipients
Note: An asterisk next to the recipient’s name indicates a 2-Year award recipient; two asterisks indicate a 3-Year award recipient.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase H.S. (16): Alanna Diggs (Certificate of Merit), Aleah Bowie* ($1,000), Anton Spencer (Certificate of Merit), Antonia Forbin* (Certificate of Merit), Briajani West ($1,000), Brianna Crayton* ($1,000), Ernest Eiras-Saunders ($1,000), Joselyne Baranshamate ($250), Langston Brown* ($250), Leslie Harden ($1,000), Michelle Kumi (Certificate of Merit), Olivia Stewart ($250), Owyn Manson ($250), Shawnte Wright ($1,000), Taylor Smith* ($1,000), Zoe Thorpe (Certificate of Merit)

Blair H.S. (13): Adam Carey ($1,000), Amare Tola (Certificate of Merit), Asha Diggo ($250), Cameron Reed (Certificate of Merit), David Burnett ($250), Demitu Shubo (Certificate of Merit), Fran Djoukeng ($1,000), Indigo Goode ($250), Isaama Stoll* ($1,000), Lilay Gebreselassie ($250), Osman Mohammed (Certificate of Merit), Shawnecca Burke ($1,000), Sierra Cody ($250)

Blake H.S. (16): Brittney De Neal* ($250), Craig Lewis (Certificate of Merit), Deandra Brown ($250), Devon Brunson ($1,000), Holland Broadus ($250), Ilhan Alio (Certificate of Merit), Isabel Decolin ($1,000), Jasmine Cogdell* ($1,000), Juliana Sesay ($250), Kelly Washington* ($1,000), Latonya Simon ($250), Loren Rheubottom ($250), Maya Campbell ($250), Sean Gobourne (Certificate of Merit), Stephanie Yanok (Certificate of Merit), Victoria Adesanmi (Certificate of Merit)

Churchill H.S. (14): Adrian Oppong ($1,000), Anthony Phillips-Spencer (Certificate of Merit), Chase Alexander Hicks ($1,000), Jessica Nichols ($1,000), Jonae Lloyd ($1,000), Madeline Goode ($250), Matthew Daley ($1,000), Melyncia Martin ($250), Nicholas Bakos ($1,000), Quentin Jefferies ($250), Ryan Macauley ($250), Sakeenah Muwwakkil* (Certificate of Merit), Sean Mcdonald ($250), Talin Hill ($1,000)

Clarksburg H.S. (10): Aleisha Forde ($1,000), Anthony O'Tapi** ($1,000), Barblin Essien ($250), Joshua Dorsey (Certificate of Merit), Kelsey Nelson ($1,000), Leila Dawa** ($250), Mariah Forde ($1,000), Natasha Knuckles ($1,000), Tiengwe Lucrece ($250), Tobenna Okocha Sharpe ($1,000)

Gaithersburg H.S. (8): Grace Etshoko* ($1,000), Jasmine Jones** ($1,000), Julie Riggio ($1,000), Nicole Peterson* ($1,000), Ricardo Dunmoodie* ($1,000), Robyn Johns ($250), Simone Campbell ($1,000), Taylor Kemp* ($250)

Kennedy H.S. (11): Andrea Joyner ($250), Armando Sullivan* ($1,000), Beersabel Mesgna ($1,000), Ermias Kirubel ($1,000), Etey Benissan ($250), Jared Griffin ($1,000), Jewell Porter ($1,000), Mickeyas Alemayehu ($250), Samir Suliman ($1,000), Sarah Gizaw ($250), Temniet Mesgna ($250)

Magruder H.S. (4): Chizorom Wosu* ($250), Kyra Nicholson** ($1,000), Lauren Haynes* ($1,000), Ronlet Thomas* ($250)

Northwest H.S. (21): Alana Rule* ($1,000), Alexandra Ngonga (Certificate of Merit), Alexandra Ofori-Atta ($250), Amanda King* ($1,000), Aminata Bah (Certificate of Merit), Brahm Kariuki** ($1,000), Brittany Emelle* ($1,000), Chanel Grider (Certificate of Merit), Chantel Broxton** ($1,000), Christin Riddick ($250), Dambrele Clemons* ($1,000), Dereck Paul** ($1,000), Frankie Battle ($250), Imani Palmer** ($250), Jamilia Jalloh* (Certificate of Merit), Korina Isler* ($1,000), Queen Alike* ($1,000), Salum Vuai (Certificate of Merit), Stephanie Barber ($250), Tichina Herbert ($250), Ugochukwu Onyewuchi* ($250)

Poolesville H.S. (4): Chelsea Grainger (Certificate of Merit), Emily Howard ($250), Michelle Byamugisha* ($1,000), Vita Inez Price* ($250)

Quince Orchard H.S. (8): Chihenye Monde-Anumihe ($1,000), Clara Adjani-Aldrin (Certificate of Merit), Crystal Adams ($250), Gene Gapare ($250), Grace Mutuku ($1,000), Malu Mbungi* (Certificate of Merit), Merissa Thomas ($1,000), Ryan Nelson ($1,000)

Richard Montgomery H.S. (10): Alexander Mcgee ($250), Allegra Sawicky ($1,000), Ezra Kebrab* ($1,000), Fithawit Ghebru (Certificate of Merit), Janet Mwebi* ($1,000), Olubusayo Awe* ($1,000), Opeyemi Awe ($1,000), Tatios Kebrab (Certificate of Merit), Valentine Sergon ($250), Zaena Tessema ($1,000)

Rockville H.S. (1): Cornelia Poku* ($1,000)

Seneca Valley H.S. (13): Arielle Travers (Certificate of Merit), Chanken Awasom ($1,000), Emeraude Mongbo ($250), Ibrinah Sesay ($250), Jasmine Dickson ($250), Kristin Moore (Certificate of Merit), Marisa Tukpah ($1,000), Markia Davis ($250), Oluseye Soyombo ($1,000), Selorm Quist ($1,000), Theodora Conteh ($250), Timothy Alston ($1,000), Tonia Nicol ($250)

Sherwood H.S. (22): Bethel Yemenshwa ($250), Brandi Porter* ($1,000), Chukwuemeka Opara ($1,000), Feven Argaw ($250), Golda Diwongui Doumb (Certificate of Merit), Greg Grant ($250), Josie Wantee (Certificate of Merit), Kayla Robinson (Certificate of Merit), Kendall Thomas ($1,000), Khris-Ann Small** ($1,000), Lauren Davis ($1,000), Lawrence Stringfield (Certificate of Merit), Matthew Smith ($250), Maya Hester ($1,000), Nina Snowden* (Certificate of Merit), Raenique Brewton ($250), Simone Brown ($1,000), Stacy Delapenha ($250), Tewodros Samson (Certificate of Merit), Tolu Tani-Olu** ($250), Tuwa Karnley ($250), Zuleika Bouzeid ($250)

Springbrook H.S. (38): Alan Adebayo ($1,000), Alexis Glears ($250), Brandi Rosser ($250), Brittney Smith ($250), Cadiesha Mckenly ($1,000), Charles Mwalimu* ($1,000), Charnelle Pinkett* ($1,000), Courtney Lee (Certificate of Merit), Eden Ejigineh ($250), Erica Barnett* ($1,000), Erica Hughes (Certificate of Merit), Eunice Ahaghotu ($1,000), Evy Zifac ($250), Jasmine Barber (Certificate of Merit), Jessica Sawadogo* ($250), Juliana Atabong* ($1,000), Kara Melton ($250), Katerra Jones ($250), Katrina Lowe ($1,000), Kefre Akpaete * ($1,000), Kevin Mack (Certificate of Merit), Kiara Mclean (Certificate of Merit), Landry Horimbere ($250), Lauren Nyack ($1,000), Michael Robinson ($1,000), Mickyas Girma ($250), Nadjitade Badje ($250), Nahika Blanchet ($1,000), Nicole Roper ($1,000), Oluseun Akande (Certificate of Merit), Omoniyi Akande* ($1,000), Onyinyechuku Nwokorie ($1,000), Reynaldo Roberts ($250), Rodney Kizito* ($1,000), Rutchilia Bleus** ($1,000), Shavon Hill (Certificate of Merit), Shuri Mawun ($1,000), Tashi Edwards ($1,000)

Walter Johnson H.S. (9): Blaire Bedford ($1,000), Henry Dorbu ($1,000), Leon Nwankwo ($1,000), Mekdes Damenu* ($250), Ronique Taffe* ($250), Sahara Selby** ($250), Stefany Carty ($250), Ta Vona Davis* ($250), Tabor Kebbede** ($1,000)

Watkins Mill H.S. (14): Brice Dang ($250), Dehithai Sonia Wendeu-Foyet ($250), Elie Tchoubfong (Certificate of Merit), Emmanuel Olinga ($250), Jade Williams ($1,000), Kyle Hoes ($1,000), Malik Seck ($250), Nebiat Asmamaw ($250), Pearl Tenny ($250), Qaren Quartey ($1,000), Shannon Gregory ($250), Vienna Simmons ($250), Yeabsera Demeke (Certificate of Merit), Youanidou Thiaw ($250)

Whitman H.S. (2): Christopher Puvak (Certificate of Merit), Jamila Crossman ($1,000)

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Montgomery College is a public, open admissions community college with campuses in Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring, plus workforce development/continuing education centers and off-site programs throughout Montgomery County, Md. The College serves nearly 60,000 students a year, through both credit and noncredit programs, in more than 100 areas of study.

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