Fourteen students, their families, members of the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Foundation Board of Directors, and representatives from Charles County Public Schools joined the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Foundation for a celebratory dinner July 20 to celebrate new and returning scholarship recipients.
Kevin Wedding, president of the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Foundation and a 1985 graduate of CSM, welcomed attendees to the evening and provided an overview of the mission of the Waldorf Jaycees.
“We believe in you, so we invest in your future, and we are here to celebrate with you tonight,” he said.
Over the past 23 years, the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Foundation and the CSM Foundation together have awarded 568 Charles County students more than $1.5 million through this scholarship fund. Eight scholarships were awarded to new CSM students and six students from last year were renewed with another scholarship for this coming year. Previous scholarship recipients who had not been honored at an in-person event were also honored at the dinner, which was the first face-to-face celebration since 2019.
Wedding then introduced CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy, who recognized honored guests and reflected on the relationship between CSM and the Jaycees.
“When you think about the legacy of this partnership, it’s really profound,” she said. “We are very fortunate to have partners like the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Foundation who invest in the education and future of Charles County students through scholarships like these. This scholarship program and its continued success is a testament to the lasting partnership between the two foundations”
Murphy then introduced Randall Williams, chair of the CSM Foundation, who took a moment to congratulate and encourage the students
“We recognize that many of you have stayed focused despite various challenges and obstacles,” Williams said. “It is because of your desire to achieve and drive to succeed that the CSM Foundation and the Greater Waldorf Jaycees are here to support you and this community. These scholarships aren’t just about paying for classes, they’re about investing in you and hoping that you use them to help build our community.”
Student speaker Grady Klaas then took to the podium to share his story of choosing to study engineering at CSM.
dsc_0104.jpgThe Lackey graduate and Nanjemoy resident said that he started his college search by focusing on four-year institutions but was eventually encouraged to consider CSM.
“It occurred to me that I had been so focused in pursuing an education at a larger school that I had largely overlooked the opportunities and programs that existed at CSM,” he said. “I researched and found that CSM had a robust program designed to prepare me for a career in engineering… My family and I made the absolute best decision we have ever made and chose to attend the College of Southern Maryland. This fall, I will start my second year at CSM. If it is anything like my first year, I am confident that I will graduate with only great things to say about my experience.”
Klaas finished by thanking the organizations that are supporting his education.
“You’ve put your faith in us,” he said. “You’ve put your trust in us. And you’ve invested your resources in us. We can’t thank you enough for the generosity you’ve shown us all and we are committed to paying this forward through hard work and dedication to the values of the Jaycees and the College of Southern Maryland.”
Family members, many wearing their own gold “CSM Alumni” ribbons, then looked on with pride as students were awarded their scholarships.
2022-2023 Waldorf Jaycees Foundation—CSM Foundation Scholarship Recipients are:
- Jacquelynn Dickerson
- Joela Hunger
- Scott Kelly
- Ryan Kluh
- Daniel Mears
- Jasmine Sciarillo
- Dwight Stephens
- Britney Thume
2022-2023 Waldorf Jaycees Foundation—CSM Foundation Renewed Scholarship Recipients are:
- Eli Guzzone
- Grady Klaas
- Himani Patel
- Maya Stevens
- Yazmin Taylor
- Jada Thompson
Previous Waldorf Jaycees Foundation—CSM Foundation Scholarship Recipients honored at the reception were:
- Jada Brown
- Lauren Chandler
- Faith Dobry
- Amber Faasen
- Arica Jones
- Connor Keech
- Morgan Krauel
- Katherine Lusk
- Angelique Martinez
- Karter Robertson
- Lauren Ryan
- Joshua Santos
- Madison Smith
- Derrick Thompson-Yates
- Arden Waldow
Wedding ended the ceremony by presenting an additional scholarship to Eli Guzzone, who received the highest GPA of a returning student. Previous scholarship recipients who achieved the highest GPA in their cohorts were Morgan Krauel and Arden Waldow.
