MYA LEE graduated from Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland with a 4.0 GPA. She will be attending Elon University in Elon North Carolina where she will obtain an undergraduate degree in Business with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. She plans to continue her education and obtain a graduate degree in Interior Design/Architecture along with acquiring a real estate license.
She plans to own a design firm for African American culture, design, and art. Mya did an internship in Nigeria where she helped to develop solutions for a struggling female business owner. She did this by consulting with CEOs, marketing experts, and other interns to develop a solution for how this person could overcome the socio-economic challenges she faced as a female business owner.
Mya says she would like to strive to build a brand that does not ignore history or current events facing our world today but engages in activism and awareness while building strong communities and relations for future generations. Her reference letter mentions that she is a leader, a very contentious student, a problem solver, and has shown compassion to students with intellectual disabilities. She says her way of “Giving Others A Dream” would be to uplift other minorities and women-owned businesses.
JOSHUA WHITSETT graduated in May 2022 from the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) with an associate degree in Business Management. In September, he will be attending Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to pursue his bachelor’s degree in Management and Leadership.
Joshua hopes one day to be an entrepreneur and the owner of a Drone Business. He plans to contract his business product out to insurance companies as well as companies that assess storm damage. His future goal is to then expand into photography. His long-term goal is to get his Certified Flight Instructor license. Once he has established these goals, he then plans to expand into real estate and start investing in commercial properties.
His many academic awards include Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Member. Joshua has a strong community service background and has volunteered in many outreach programs through his church. He understands the meaning of giving and says, "that it makes you feel better, grow as a person to see another advance, and that you give individuals hope, and without hope, dreams die."
ASIA WOODARD is a graduate of Eleanor Roosevelt High School located in Greenbelt, Maryland, and she will be attending Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Asia wants to be a part of the process of making others feel seen and valued through cinema. Her goal is to help different cultures find their voice through film and TV. For example, she feels that many cultures haven’t been represented in a way that makes them feel somewhat “normal” in the media.
Asia has a big heart when it comes to volunteering. Her reference letter comes from the Founder of “The Birthday Giving Program” a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides birthday bags and celebrations to children, adults, seniors, and veterans affected by poverty, addiction, abuse, homelessness, violence, physical/mental challenges, and old age. She mentions that Asia started volunteering with the organization in October 2021, packing birthday bags filled with school supplies, stuffed animals, coloring books, and other gifts to make children's birthday special. Also, each month Asia donates 10 birthday bags to a nonprofit called Love You Back To Life, which supports homeless women and children. The recipients of these birthday bags are kids whose families don’t have the resources to celebrate their birthdays.
Asia says her work with Birthday Bags is an example of Giving Others a Dream and providing people with resources they previously haven’t had before, along with giving them hope of better opportunities and showing them that there are people who care.
MEKHI CORBIN will be attending North Carolina A&T State University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Finance. He graduated from Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland where he was a member of the advanced STEM program designated for the top 5% of students from Prince Georges County. He was voted class Treasurer of the Student Government Association and because of his leadership skills and community services, a new position was created for him as Chief of Staff which had never been done before.
He would like to establish a nonprofit aimed at teaching disadvantaged Americans about financial literacy. He believes that being knowledgeable on financial literacy can positively impact families as they try to balance their budget, buy a home, fund their children’s education, and save for retirement. Mekhi has exhibited strong leadership skills and community service interests. He feels giving back has been a massive part of his life and one of the core foundations he was raised. Helping the less fortunate has opened Mekhi's eyes and made him understand how blessed he is, and “Giving Others A Dream” to him means creating opportunities for others.
CHRISTIAN JENKINS graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Springs, Maryland, and will be attending the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. His goal is to become an athletic trainer and mental health counselor for professional athletes and competitive colleges and high schools. He wants to be the first to open a clinic that will focus on both physical and mental health counseling for athletes. He believes improving athletes’ mental health is a priority that often gets overlooked because of their talent.
Christian completed the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses while maintaining his GPA. He has strong leadership skills and has received many honors and awards. Christian is very active in his community and church. In preparation for his career, he participated in the Safe Space Ministry through his church for those with mental and learning difficulties. He says that “Giving Others A Dream” means helping others, leadership, sacrifice, and good character. Christian understands the meaning of giving, whether it’s delivering food or clothing to the homeless, providing his time at after-school services, or mentoring young kids, he’s always looking for the opportunity to continue to give to others.
Darius Joyner
Queen Ogunshakin
Queen Ogunshakin
Darius Joyner lives in Brandywine, Maryland and attends Elizabeth State University with a major in Computer Science. Dariius is the youngest of three siblings and has an older brother who also attends college.
Queen Ogunshakin
Queen Ogunshakin
Queen Ogunshakin
Queen lives in Washington DC and is a rising junior attending Loyola University in Baltimore Maryland. Queen is majoring in Communications
2020-2021 Scholarship Recipients
Ronald Weaver, Jr.
Ronald Weaver, Jr. is a proud graduate of Crossland High School in Temple, Hills, Maryland. He will be attending Bowie State University to major in Business and hope to open up his own barbershop. While in high school, Mr. Weaver applied for the Career Technical Educational Program (CTE) for barbering and got it. During his junior year, he decided to enroll in a Dual Enrollment business class at Prince George’s Community College, where he earned 3 college credits. He learned how to start a business and how to finance and market it. With these experiences, he knows that being a business owner is within his reach.
Jalen Jeremiah Geason
Jalen will be attending Johns Hopkins University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a minor in Music. Jalen is a proud graduate of River Hill High School in Clarksville, Maryland, where he was a leader in and out of the classroom. He is the Director of Communications for the nonprofit organization Know the Truth International Ministries (KTT). He also helped create internal and external communications for the organization and is the assistant lead missionary who helps to guide missionaries on the field. His love for missionary work began at an early age, and he has gone on eight mission trips to five different countries. Jalen looks forward to studying abroad and continuing to reap the benefits of world travel while furthering his studies. He also wants to establish a nonprofit tech startup focused on increasing technology access in third-world countries.
Kayla Ni’Chelle Owens
Kayla attends Towson State University in Towson, Maryland, where she will be a Junior in the fall. She is studying Early Childhood and Special Education. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, Kayla wants to continue her education and earn a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She has always been inspired to help those who are less fortunate. Kayla wants to become an educator, teaching grades K-3, and help as many children as possible with special needs. She also loves working in daycares where she has assisted the teachers, as this will help her grow and become an educator. She is the President of Teens-N-Transformation (youth ministry at her church), where she volunteers in many community activities. Kayla understands the meaning of giving. She says that when you give others a dream, you give them a reason to keep pushing and find ways to make their dreams come true.