Celebrating 20 Years of the Incentive Awards Program at the University of Maryland

celebrating 20 years of the

INCENTIVE AWARDS PROGRAM at the university of maryland

c el ebr ating 2 0 yea rs of t he

I N C E N T I V E AWA R D S P R O G R A M at the un ive rsity o f mary land

CONTENTS

History Introduction

8

Transforming Lives

14

Program Components Timeline

18

By the Numbers

24

16

Alumni Career Highlights

26

Scholars Inaugural Cohort Fellows

32

Award Winners Cohort 20 Cohort 21

38 39

30

36

Partners Mentors

42

Guidance Community Schools Represented Selection Committee Community Partners Donors

54

Transformative Gift Advisory Board

60

Acknowledgements

46 47 48 50

57 60

6

History

7

I n 1 9 98, soon after he began his tenure as

president of the University of Maryland, C.D. Mote, Jr. noticed a glaring problem that required urgent attention.

An abysmally low number of students from Baltimore— by far the largest city in Maryland—were applying and enrolling at the state’s flagship university. And among the few students from Baltimore’s public high schools studying at UMD, the overwhelming majority came from just three schools: Baltimore City College, Baltimore Polytechnic and Western High. Representation from all the other public high schools in Baltimore ranged from little to zero.

Mote had dealt with a similar problem before, while serving as vice chancellor for university relations at the University of California, Berkeley. He led the effort at UC Berkeley to raise $22 million for a highly successful program aimed at attracting and nurturing students from underrepresented areas. He set out to put in place a similar model at Maryland. In 2000, Maryland created a program based on the Berkeley model: the University of Maryland Incentive Awards Program.

H I S T O RY

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scholarship, leadership

The Incentive Awards Program is designed to recognize and promote scholarship, leadership and community responsibility among students from select high schools, and to make it financially possible for these students to enroll at the University of Maryland.

The program identifies and selects students who have demonstrated uncommon persistence, ingenuity and maturity by maintaining good academic performance in the face of challenging circumstances.

10

HIST O RY

Launched as a pilot program in Baltimore, the program was designated The Suzanne G. and Murray A. Valenstein Baltimore Incentive Awards Program in 2006, and was expanded to select schools in Prince George’s County a short time later. A generous gift in 2012 allowed further expansion to KIPP public charter schools in Maryland and Washington, D.C. In 2019, another gift enabled the program to include students from select private schools in Baltimore and most recently, a significant investment allowed for expansion to Montgomery County. Each IAP student is awarded financial support for four years and benefits from a strong, nurturing community of advisors, mentors and administrative staff while at Maryland.

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

and community

However, the program is not defined by its scholarship component.

The distinguishing characteristic of IAP is its focus on developing character, critical thinking skills and leadership in the context of an intimate community of peers. This “community within a community” sustains IAP students and challenges them to develop lifelong skills, not just to benefit themselves, but their communities as well. In addition to the advising network, the mutual support provided by the peer group encourages students to persist. IAP students are empowered to assume leadership roles within the group. They exercise autonomy in planning social and community-building activities. They’re also encouraged to shape the culture of the group, with each new cohort making its unique impression on the community.

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The University of Maryland Incentive Awards Program values a spirit of reciprocity. IAP scholars embrace this spirit by maintaining strong ties to their home and school communities, regularly returning to their high schools to serve as role models for younger students. They engage in discussions with students in their high schools, sharing with them their experiences at UMD and the importance of proper academic preparation for college. The intent is for their success — attained through hard work — to be an incentive for others to persist toward high school graduation, pursue higher education and achieve in the face of adversity.

Twenty years after the program’s inception, the university’s commitment continues under the leadership of President Darryll J. Pines. “Education is the great equalizer,” President Pines says. “It is by far the best and most rewarding investment anyone can make in the future of a young person, our local communities, our state, our nation and our world.

The Incentive Awards Program is a vital part of this mission, providing opportunities for some of the most talented and dedicated students in our community to excel. We all benefit from this investment.”

As IAP students graduate and the alumni base continues to grow, the positive impact will be even more profound on the communities these students call home. Throughout all future endeavors, they will hone the skills nurtured through the University of Maryland Incentive Awards Program and use them in every aspect of their lives. ]

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HIST O RY

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

Within their high schools and communities they are regarded

spokespersons, leaders, doers, achievers. They do not lose as

touch with their roots — they give their roots new vigor.

—C.D. MOTE, JR. IAP founder

TRANSFORMING LIVES

I have never seen a better program for transforming the lives of young

capability, character, and determination to break

people who have the

out of what many would say are tough circumstances. This program has the

institutions, communities, and families as much

potential to transform

as the students themselves.

—C.D. MOTE, JR.

"We are offering an opportunity for students who in

many cases dare d to dre am… to use the resources of the state’s premier research university to create a future for themselves in the global marketplace. We commit to doing everything within our power to help them succeed."

“The Incentive Awards Program is

i m p o r t a n t a n d l i fe t r a nsf o r m i n g experience of any

the most

program that I have known in my lifetime. I thank everyone associated with it for making its dream come true for all to appreciate.”

“I am struck by the depth of the students’ thoughts about their

the array o f o ppo rt un i t ies before them and about their understanding that

experiences at the University, about their engagement with

this experience will transform their futures if they take full advantage of it. What was most moving for me was the wide-open engagement of the students with the plethora of university opportunities available to them.

That is their pathway to their futures that only they can light up.”

Thank you, Dr. Mote!

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PROGRAM COMPONENTS

ACADEMIC COACHING IAP staff provide academic support and guidance on course selection, majors, and more.

COMMUNITY BUILDING Retreats, excursions, social activities and monthly student meetings foster camaraderie and a supportive community.

OUTREACH Scholars maintain strong ties to their home and school communities through high school visits and other outreach efforts.

16

HIST O RY

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

MENTORING Dedicated faculty and staff commit to a mentoring relationship throughout scholars’ tenure.

SERVICE Scholars are encouraged to identify and address the needs of their surrounding community through meaningful service projects.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The IAP community extends through graduation and beyond, offering relevant seminars on student-driven topics throughout the year.

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HISTORY Jacqueline Wheeler Lee is hired as BIAP director.

The Baltimore Incentive Awards Program (BIAP) launches in partnership with nine public high schools in Baltimore City. 

1998

1999

Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr. becomes the new president of the University of Maryland.

President Mote envisions a pipeline program, inspired by a similar one he developed at UC Berkeley, that will identify and encourage talented, determined students from Baltimore City to enroll in UMD in greater numbers. 

Barry Gossett makes the first gift to what will become the Baltimore Incentive Awards Program.

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HIST O RY

2000

2001

The first cohort of BIAP scholars matriculates at UMD. 

2002

BIAP staff expands to include associate director.

The program expands to Prince George’s County Public Schools.

The first cohort of IAP scholars graduate.  The program moves into Cole Field House. 

2003

2004

2005

The program is designated the Suzanne G. and Murray A. Valenstein Baltimore Incentive Awards. 

Tiana Wynn ’05 becomes the first scholar to study abroad. 

2006

First scholars from Prince George’s County matriculate at UMD. 

2007

The program’s newsletter, InTouch, is launched.

The first Jennifer F. Lewis Memorial Award, honoring a 2006 graduate, is presented to Randal Brewer ’09 for outstanding academic performance, exceptional character and lasting contributions to the Incentive Awards Program and the UMD community. 

1984–2008

2008

2009

Yavona Williams Pirali ’06 becomes the first IAP alumni to earn a graduate degree: M.Ed. in secondary education from Towson University 

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HIST O RY

2010

The number of alumni tops 100!

Cohort 7 makes the first class gift to IAP. 

2011

Nancy Canales ’13 becomes the first IAP scholar to be inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa and elected into Phi Beta Kappa. She is chosen to serve as a senior marshal at spring commencement.  Kori Hill ’13 is selected to be the student speaker for the winter commencement ceremony. 

2012

IAP starts a professional development series for alumni.

2013

2014

The program institutes an annual IAP Day of Service, in which all students, alumni, mentors and friends are invited to participate.  IAP expands to KIPP schools, thanks to a gift from Chuck Daggs ’69.

Lenaya Stewart ’15 is the Department of English’s student speaker at spring commencement.

2015

The number of high school students reached through IAP recruitment and outreach events exceeds 3,500.

Charmaine Wilson-Jones ’15 is selected as a Byrd/Elkins Award finalist and member of the Maryland Medallion Society. 

21

CollegeBound Foundation textbook scholarships for Baltimore IAP scholars top $250,000.

2016

IAP joins the Office of Undergraduate Studies under the leadership of Dean William A. Cohen.

2017

2018

IAP partners with Education Abroad for the Maryland in Buenos Aires program in the winter term—the first time IAP students and an IAP staff member traveled abroad together.

This trip becomes a permanent fixture for interested students each year. 

IAP’s Giving Day fundraising totals are double the previous year due to a concerted effort to engage alumni and students.

Darian Senn-Carter ’08, Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Edgewood College, becomes the first alumnus to earn a doctorate. 

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

IAP welcomes 22 students into its 21st cohort—the largest cohort in its history.

Arnold I. ’69 and Alison L. Richman ’69 make a substantial gift, allowing IAP to extend its reach in Baltimore City and expand its cohort by almost 50% in the first year.

2019

Jahi Jones ’19, a four-year wrestling letterman, is selected as the University of Maryland’s recipient for the 2019 Big Ten Medal of Honor award, the conference’s most prestigious accolade. 

2020

2021

IAP expands to include high school students from Montgomery County Public Schools thanks to a $6.8M gift from Phill and Elizabeth Gross. The gift leverages matching funds from the Maryland Promise Program, funded jointly by the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation, the University of Maryland and other generous donors.

The Alumni Council is launched to promote lifelong engagement with IAP staff, students and alumni and to foster professional development, social interaction, and personal enrichment.

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BY THE NUMBERS

96%

84%

One-year retention rate for IAP scholars, higher than that of other freshman students at the University of Maryland

Six-year graduation rate of IAP scholars

4 1 24

IAP scholars who have served as commencement speakers

Student inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, America’s most prestigious honor society

HIST O RY

4 1

36% Current IAP scholars who are enrolled in the Honors College, College Park Scholars, CIVICUS and other living and learning programs

IAP students inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, a 100-year-old national leadership honor society

Student received Big Ten Medal of Honor, the conference’s most exclusive award

3

Maryland Medallion Society and Byrd & Elkins Finalists

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

180

graduates

An additional 12 students are on track to earn their bachelor’s degrees in 2021.

73

16

IAP alumni who have earned or are pursuing doctoral degrees.

These alumni will be among the 2% in the United States population who hold doctorates.

88

IAP scholars who have studied abroad in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, England, Ethiopia, France, Germany, the Grenadines, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Lesotho, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

IAP alumni who have either completed or are pursuing graduate studies at institutions, including Cornell University, Georgetown University, William & Mary Law School, University of Illinois, American University, Johns Hopkins University, Temple University, Strayer University, Widener University, Edgewood College, Argosy University, Morgan State University, Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, Syracuse University, Boston University, San Francisco State University and the University of Maryland.

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EDUCATOR • ACCOUNTANT • PSYCHOTHERAPIST • TAX SENIOR ASSOCIATE •

PROJECT MECHANICAL ENGINEER • CITY PLANNER • RECORDING ARTIST •

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR • POLICE OFFICER • PROGRAM DIRECTOR •

PROFESSOR • MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYST • SOCIAL WORKER •

GRADUATE STUDENT • ENTREPRENEUR • ARCHITECT • CONSULTANT •

INFORMATION SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR • RETAIL MANAGER • AUDITOR •

GRAPHIC DESIGNER • RESEARCH ASSISTANT • RADAR SYSTEMS ENGINEER

GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION SCIENCE ANALYST & DEVELOPER • ACTOR •

HIGHER EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL • COMMODITY SOURCING SPECIALIST •

RESEARCH COORDINATOR • PROJECT MANAGER • PRODUCTION ASSISTANT •

SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST • NEWSROOM ASSISTANT AND PRODUCER

TECHNOLOGY ENGINEER • PHYSICAL SCIENTIST • ASSIGNMENT EDITOR •

FINANCIAL PRODUCT ANALYST • CLINICAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT •

EDUCATOR • ACCOUNTANT • PSYCHOTHERAPI • TAX SENIOR ASSOCIATE •

ALUMNI CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

CITY PLANNER • RECORDING ARTIST • PROJE MECHANICAL ENGINEER •

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR • POLICE OFFICER • MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM

ANALYST • PROGRAM DIRECTOR • PROFESSOR • SOCIAL WORKER •

GRADUATE STUDENT • ENTREPRENEUR • ARCHITECT • CONSULTANT •

INFORMATION SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR • RETAIL MANAGER • AUDITOR •

GRAPHIC DESIGNER • RESEARCH ASSISTANT • RADAR SYSTEMS ENGINEER

GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION SCIENCE ANALYST & DEVELOPER • ACTOR •

HIGHER EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL • COMMODITY SOURCING SPECIALIST •

RESEARCH COORDINATOR • PROJECT MANAGER • PRODUCTION ASSISTANT •

SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST • NEWSROOM ASSISTANT AND PRODUCER

TECHNOLOGY ENGINEER • PHYSICAL SCIENTIST • ASSIGNMENT EDITOR •

FINANCIAL PRODUCT ANALYST • CLINICAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT •

EDUCATOR • ACCOUNTANT • PSYCHOTHERAPIST • TAX SENIOR ASSOCIATE •

PROJECT MECHANICAL ENGINEER • CITY PLANNER • RECORDING ARTIST •

IAP graduates are employed at places like KPMG, HBO, NBC, Morgan Stanley, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, CohnReznick, Catholic University, Baltimore City Public Schools, Prince George’s County Public Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools, Bloomberg, Accenture, Department of Defense, CollegeBound Foundation, Teach for America, University of Maryland, Prince George’s County Police Department, Northrop Grumman, NBC, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of State.

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Scholars

A TRIBUTE TO THE INAUGURAL COHORT Without the nine courageous students who were in the inaugural IAP cohort, there would be no anniversary to celebrate. These first scholars entered into a fledgling program with only one staff member and no peer group to show them the ropes.

They proved their resilience as the program and its activities evolved from moment to moment. They quickly learned how much they needed to lean on each other as they balanced home and school life, explored the diversity of the campus, and became acclimated to its unfamiliar culture.

All of this was against a backdrop of the highs and lows—or “gripes and grins” as we affectionately call them—of freshman year. There was a fierce tornado that ripped through the campus, claiming the lives of two UMD students. And there was the 9/11 tragedy. Both events sent IAP students rushing back to Baltimore to worried family members. There were lighter moments during the Maryland Leadership Conference, the weekly watch parties of the first season of American Idol, and the late night conversations in Easton Hall.

Through all the highs and lows, the scholars in the first cohort of IAP persevered, stayed focused and made steady progress toward earning their degrees.

IAP honors the first nine students for their persistence and achievement; for laying the groundwork for a program— now 20 years old—they likely could not have imagined; and for establishing a tradition of excellence that has become the program’s defining feature. Thank you, Cohort 1, for your invaluable contributions and for making such an indelible mark on the Incentive Awards Program.

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S CHO L AR S

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EBONY JAMISON BECKLES

Medication Adherence Nurse for the Medication Support Team, Chase Brexton Healthcare

REGINALD JONES

Detective, Warrant Apprehension Task Force, Baltimore Police Department

MYRON GOLDSTEIN

IMA BASSEY IBIDAPO, ESQ.

Denial Specialist, Johns Hopkins Health System

Attorney, Full-time Lecturer, Political Science, Morgan State University

MBA, Strayer University, 2012

ESSENCE JORDAN

Retired Federal Police Officer, Business Coach & Video Strategist

National Manager, Training University, AT&T Mobility

UNIVERSIT Y OF MARYL AND

YAVONA WILLIAMS PIRALI

Science Teacher, Elmer A. HendersonHopkins School M.A.T., Secondary Science, Towson University

Police Instructor Certification

NICOLE POON-YING

JD, College of William and Mary School of Law, 2009

TIANA WYNN

Partner, SB & Company, LLC MBA, Loyola University Maryland, 2015

JOSEPH ROBINSON

We’re still seeking recent information about Joseph. We wish him the best!

Thank you, Cohort 1!

SCHOLARS

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FELLOWS Scholars, servant-leaders, role models.

A highly select group, IAP Fellows are exemplary students who demonstrate positive attitudes and strong character while encouraging others to follow their example. Most importantly, they are academic leaders who seek ways to augment their classroom experience with experiential learning and international travel and impact the campus through extracurricular involvement. They are expected to support the IAP leadership by acting as a student advisory board, leading community meetings and annual retreats and coordinating social activities for the entire student group.

The first fellows, 2008

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S CHO L AR S

Jenniffer Alberti ’21

Sharina Alston ’11

Roger Arangorin ’21

Jose Arevalo ’13

Brittany Atkinson ’11

Ayomide Awobajo ’22

Olivia Bankole ’20

Isaiah Bell ’16

Brian Robinson Bowers ’10

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I’Shea Boyd ’20

Randal Brewer ’10

Joshua Brown ’21

Nancy Canales ’13

Sabrina Christian ’18

Katherine Coleman ’13

Dekebra Arrington Crowe ’10

Gerard Dailey ’16

McAllister Egbire-Molen ’16

David Egbufoama ’18

Brian Escobar ’22

London Faust ’11

Alecia Frye ’16

Amirah Grady ’17

Jose Granados ’15

Alma Hernandez ’22

Kori Hill ’13

Hamza Idris ’14

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Shane James ’17

Kalani Johnson ’16

Elias Kallon ’22

Christina Kearns ’18

Christopher Lane ’15

Ganiyat Lawal ’16

Rafael Lovo ’13

Chijiaku Maduka ’16

Katherine Medina ’19

Davian Morgan ’14

Kiosha Murphy ’12

Jessica Nolasco ’17

Chukwuma Odigwe ’18

Olatunji Onibanjo ’19

Juan Peralta ’13

Ladeja Robinson ’17

Teddy Rosemond ’21

Jayme Savoy ’22

S CHO L AR S

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Kareem Shakoor ’10

Djuan Short ’12

Amara Sillah ’10

Dominic Smith ’09

Taylor-Omaree Smith ’19

Tamicka Smithson

Zalandria Spann ’18

Brian Spates ’22

Maiya Spell ’21

Lenaya Stewart ’15

Jasmine Thomas ’17

Joshua Trowell ’16

Changing lives.

Enriching our campus.

Miguel Turcios ’20

Tochi Ukwu ’15

UNIVERSIT Y OF MARYL AND

VaRysa Williams ’13

Charmaine Wilson-Jones ’15

Impacting our community.

SCHOLARS

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AWARD WINNERS The JENNIFER F. LEWIS MEMORIAL AWARD was created to honor one of our former scholars who lost a six-year battle with cancer in 2008, after a remarkable but brief life.

Jennifer ’06 showed academic prowess and was also involved in campus life and deeply committed to social justice and civil rights issues; she wanted to make them her life’s work.

Each year, we recognize a graduating senior who captures her spirit and who has made an impression on the Incentive Awards community—a student with impeccable character who demonstrates exemplary qualities and who embodies the ideals of the program as Jennifer did. Through the years, we have selected 13 students as recipients of this award—for their unwavering commitment to the program and for serving as models for others to follow.

The highest honor bestowed on an Incentive Award student, the Jennifer F. Lewis Memorial Award is accompanied by a financial gift from the family foundation created in her memory. Our heartfelt thanks go to all recipients for their dedication to IAP. Randal Brewer Williams, first recipient of the Award, with Jennifer’s mother, Casandra Rendleman-Hall, in 2009.

Isaiah Bell receiving the 2016 Jennifer F. Lewis Memorial Award.

JENNIFER F. LEWIS MEMORIAL AWARD WINNERS

Randal Brewer Williams ’10

Isaiah Bell ’16

Amara Sillah ’10

Jessica Nolasco ’17

Brittany Atkinson ’11

Chukwuma Odigwe ’18

Djuan Short ’12

Katherine Medina ’19

Nancy Canales ’13

Taylor-Omaree Smith ’19

Davian Morgan ’14

Roger Arangorin, Jr. ’21

Charmaine Wilson-Jones ’15

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In celebration of their 10-year college reunion, the class of 2008, Cohort 4, created the VISIONARY AWARD to provide financial support to a senior entering the workforce or graduate school. The Award, funded entirely by the cohort members, is intended to assist with personal and professional expenses (e.g., professional wardrobe, graduate school entrance exams, etc.) after graduation. This award is an outgrowth of the enduring friendship among Cohort 4 scholars and their affinity for the program, and an effort to pay forward the gifts they received through IAP. They hope to inspire future alumni to follow suit and contribute similarly.

After an application review process, members of Cohort 4 select winners based on the clarity of their vision for the future and a coherent and realistic plan to attain their professional goals. Congratulations to Roger Arangorin, Jr. ’21 for being the 2021 Visionary Award winner!

VISIONARY AWARD WINNERS

Allexxus Farley-Thomas ’18 Olatunji Onigbanjo ’19 I’Shea Boyd ’20 Roger Arangorin, Jr. ’21 Roger Arangorin, Jr., 2021 Visionary Award winner

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20

COHORT

How do you have a strong college start in a pandemic? Ask Cohort 20. Most of them have never met each other faceto-face — they live at home, on campus and in off-campus apartments—but they have forged a supportive community among themselves. Through COVID-19 disruptions, quarantine housing, uncertainty, and asynchronous lectures, they have stayed positive, excelled academically and stayed true to their IAP commitment. Hats off to a stellar group of scholars!

Gabriel Assan

Emmanuel Barnes

Collin Bast

Jade Brown

Natalya Brown

Isaac Bunyun

Michelle Castro-Lemus

Destinee Dunham

Maximiliano Gonzalez-Cruz

Alexis James

Taylor-Simone Johnson

Tobius Nance

AyoOluwakiitan Oluwafemi

Maria Ortez

Madeleine Oum-Ray

Cameren Pearsen

Diana Rivera

Jade Rowe

Carmela Sambells

Ronald Wingate

Ariel Wright

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21

COHORT

Twenty years after the first cohort started their journey in the Incentive Awards Program, another cadre of exceptional students will enter into the tradition of achievement and excellence. We are proud to welcome the largest cohort in IAP’s history and look forward to seeing the impact they will make in the IAP community, on the campus, and in the world!

Mark Aguilar

Bryan Carrillo

Jhennifer Celestino-Alva

Isaiah Chapman

John Djeuf

Kerra Dukes

Rozhin Fadae

Alexa Figueroa

Justin Guzman

Lixander Guzman

Devin Harris

Alana Hines

Tishanique Johnson

Judith Lin

Micah McCready

May Soe Min

Rebecca Oluwasanmi

Aracely Perez

Abel Shiferaw

Adero Wilkes

Leandra Williams

Janae Young

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40

Partners

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MENTORS

Javaune Adams-Gaston Letters & Sciences

Annie Foster Ahmed Pre-College Programs

“I value my participation as an IAP mentor as it is

David Allen

an opportunity to help make connections with and

Department of Transportation Services

for my mentees. In my life journey, I’ve learned

Pamela Allen

that it is

w ho you kn o w a s w e l l a s w h a t yo u k n o w

University Career Center & The President’s Promise

that can make a difference, and sometimes who

Dale Anderson

you know can be more important. People create

Rosalyn Anderson-Howell

opportunities for others. Through programs like IAP, I hope to help give our mentees the

University Human Resources College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Gloria Aparicio-Blackwell

confidence to aim high, to succeed and to learn

Office of Community Engagement

from disappointments large and small.”

Melanie Ashton

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Deidre Bagley

Robert Infantino College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences IAP Mentor since 2002

Alumni Association

Monette Bailey

Center for Leadership & Organizational Change

Joan Bellsley

University Health Center

Allison Benton

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Bruk Berhane

Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering

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PARTN ERS

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Kimberly Bethea

Theo Caruthers

Johnetta Davis

Cordell Black

Nick Celedon

Marcio de Oliveira

Natasha Chapman

Joanne DeSiato

Learning Assistance Service Academic Affairs

Sacared A. Bodison

University Health Center

Gloria Bouis

Office of Diversity & Inclusion

Monique Boyd

Letters & Sciences

Reed-Yorke Health Professions Advising Office Teaching and Learning Transformation Center

Darrell Claiborne

Office of Student Financial Aid

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Lisa Bradley-Klemko

Brandon Clark

College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

Mark Brimhall-Vargas Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Stacey M. Brown

Academic Achievement Programs

Stephanie Timmons Brown College of Education

Deborah Reid Bryant Letters and Sciences

Courtney Butler

Reed-Yorke Health Professions Advising Office

Jeany Cadet

College Park Scholars

Stephanie CarringtonBrown Ernest Cartledge

Office of the Registrar

UNIVERSIT Y OF MARYL AND

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Linda Clement

Graduate Studies

Division of Information Technology Graduate Studies and Research

Bill Destler Provost

Bonnie Thornton Dill College of Arts and Humanities

Audran Downing

Keonna Feaster Vicky Foxworth

Center for Leadership and Organizational Change

Sharon Fries-Britt College of Education

Ebony Fullwood

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Robert Gaines

College of Arts and Humanities

Barbara Gill

Enrollment Management

Andrea Goodwin

Student Affairs

College of Arts and Humanities

William L. Clemm ll

Brandon Dula

Mary Graham-Fisher

Adele H. Stamp Student Union

Office of Diversity & Inclusion

Roberta Coates

Traci Dula

Carol Grant Gilchrist

Katherine Coleman

Cynthia Edmunds

Office of the President

College of Arts and Humanities

Michelle Espino-Lira

Leah Grosse

College of Education

University Relations

Monique Everette

Amilcar Guzman

Adele H. Stamp Student Union Ombuds Officer

Robert H. Smith School of Business*

Leslie Coleman

University Relations

Carol Corneilse Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Karmin Cortes

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Nicole Cousin-Gossett College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Honors College

Office of Student Conduct

J. Darius Greene

College of Arts and Humanities

Tiana Hakimzadeh

Colleen Farmer

Undergraduate Studies

School of Public Health

Funsho Fashina Education Abroad

Donna Hamilton Paul Hanges

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Nariman Favardin

Clark School of Engineering

PA RT N E R S

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Kecia Hansard

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Georgette Hardy-DeJesus Pre-College Programs

Nina Harris

School of Public Policy

Cheryl Harrison

University Relations

Brent Hernandez

College Park Scholars

Continuing Education

Martin Johnson

College of Education

Raymond Johnson

Nance Lucas

Ed Montgomery

Ashely Luster

Tamika Montgomery

J.M. Burns Academy of Leadership Letters and Sciences Philip Merrill College of Journalism

College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

Brenda Jones Harden

Ed Maginnis

Jim Newton

College of Education

Lisa Kiely

Division of Administration and Finance

College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

Warren Kelly

Marcia Marinelli

Lee Hinga

Taneisha Leathers

College of Arts and Humanities

Criminal Justice and Criminology

Tricia Homer

Linda Lenoir

Tynesha McCullers

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs

University Career Center & The President’s Promise

Carlos Howard

Andrea Levy

Mary Hummel

Sharon Strange Lewis

College of Arts and Humanities* Division of Student Affairs

Robert Infantino

Justin Nero

Joshua Madden

Tanika Mangum

Department of Resident Life

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

Undergraduate Studies

Richard Highton

Academic Affairs Robert H. Smith School of Business

University Human Resources

Tom Mauriello

Department of Resident Life

James McShay

Undergraduate Studies

Danita Nias

Alumni Relations and Development

Laura Nichols

Women’s Studies

Kim Nickerson

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Kent Norman

University Human Resources

Multicultural Involvement Community Advocacy

Heidi Onkst

Marinel MartinezBenyarko

Nkemdirim Onokala

Adele H. Stamp Student Union

University Relations Undergraduate Studies

Miriam Osbourne-Elliott

College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

Lea Linton

Dario Middleton

Academic Achievement Programs

Office of Multiethnic Student Education

Angela Jackson

T.C. Lloyd

Patricia Mielke

Jim Osteen

University Human Resources

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Eric Van Johnson

Tiara Lowe

Courtney Milton

Nelson Padua-Perez

Letters & Sciences

44

Diana Jackson

PARTN ERS

University Relations

College of Arts and Humanities

Department of Resident Life Undergraduate Admissions

Adele H. Stamp Student Union College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

Benjamin Parks

College Park Scholars

Carla Partlow

Pre-College Programs

Marchelle Payne-Gassaway Letters and Sciences

Shaunna Payne-Gold Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education

John Pease Sociology

Randall Phyall

Letters and Sciences

Jazmin Pichardo Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Maria Pineda

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Darryll J. Pines

A. James Clark School of Engineering

Kevin Pitt Linda Platt

Tony Randall

Victoria Shay

Rashawn Ray

Ebony Terrell Shockley

Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Nicholas Richardson Evan Riddle

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Winona Roach

University Relations

David Robb

Robert H. Smith School of Business College of Education

Brian Shook

University Relations

Kumea Shorter-Gooden

Office of Diversity & Inclusion

Carolyn Skolnik

Office of General Counsel

Leon Slaughter

Office of the Registrar

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Michael Robinson

Ann Smith

A. James Clark School of Engineering

Danilo Romero

A. James Clark School of Engineering

Rhea Roper Nedd

McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program

Nicholas Sakurai

Undergraduate Studies

Mia Smith-Bynum Family Science

Jeanette Snider Robert H. Smith School of Business

Cynthia Stevens

Undergraduate Studies

Gabriele Strauch

University Relations

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Equity Center

Pasquale Quintero, Jr.

Tamara Saunders

Gerry Strumpf

Office of Student Conduct

New Student Orientation

Anthony Savia

Alicia Thomas

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Neruh Ramirez

A. James Clark School of Engineering

UNIVERSIT Y OF MARYL AND

School of Public Policy

Tony Shavers

University Relations

College of Arts and Humanities

Reed-Yorke Health Professions Advising Office

Michelle Udeli

Letters and Sciences

Patty Wang

University Relations

Robert Waters Academic Affairs

Ronald Walters

Government and Politics

Timea Webster

Office of Diversity & Inclusion

Jamie Weiler

University Counsel

Christine White

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Alexis Williams

College of Education

Millree Williams

University Communications

Clyde Woods

African-American Studies Program

Laura Anderson Wright Office of General Counsel

Ann Wylie

Office of the President

Terry Zacker

Adele H. Stamp Student Union

Ruth Zambrana Women’s Studies

Ronald Ziegler

Nyumburu Cultural Center *IAP alumni

PA RT N E R S

45

GUIDANCE COMMUNITY Since 2000 in Baltimore City, 2005 in Prince George’s County, and 2020 in Montgomery County, the guidance community has been invaluable to the success of the Incentive Awards Program.

At least one staff member has assisted with our outreach efforts by supporting the recruitment, nomination and selection of IAP scholars. These committed individuals have helped scores of students realize their dreams of a college education and thereby, chart a new life course.

We wholeheartedly thank our school partners for their unwavering support of the program and its students.

“The most exciting part of being an IAP liaison is the moment my students learn they have been granted the Incentive Award, and

that they ar e g o i ng to co l l e g e.

i t s i nks i n They recognize

that guidance and nurturing will be available to them—not just money—and they realize they’re going to be okay. Most rewarding, however, is when they graduate from UMD and become productive citizens throughout Baltimore City.

One of my former students is now my colleague.

I can hardly believe it.”

Pamela Wainwright Digital Harbor High School, Baltimore, Md. IAP High School Liaison since 2002

46

PARTN ERS

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

SCHOOLS REPRESENTED BALTIMORE CITY

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Baltimore City College Baltimore Design School Baltimore Leadership for Young Women Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Baltimore School for the Arts Benjamin Franklin High School Digital Harbor High School Edmondson Westside High School Forest Park High School Mercy High School Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School Northern High School Northwestern High School Patterson High School Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Southern High School Southwestern High School W.E.B. DuBois High School Western High School

Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC Bowie High School Central High School Crossland High School DuVal High School Eleanor Roosevelt High School Fairmont Heights High School Frederick Douglass High School High Point High School Northwestern High School Oxon Hill High School Parkdale High School Potomac High School Suitland High School Surrattsville High School

KIPP

KIPP Baltimore - St. Paul’s School for Girls KIPP DC College Preparatory

UNIVERSIT Y OF MARYL AND

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Albert Einstein High School Gaithersburg High School Richard Montgomery High School Springbrook High School Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School

PA RT N E R S

47

SELECTION COMMITTEE Each spring, the selection committee joins IAP staff in identifying exceptional students for the new cohort. Members review applications, interview students and then make thoughtful recommendations to staff.

With our applicant pool growing and becoming more competitive, this is a yeoman’s task that they undertake year after year. The dedication and support of the selection committee is not just invaluable; it is a way to engage the community, raise awareness of the program and cultivate champions for IAP. The 32-person committee comprises UMD and IAP alumni, university staff, donors and community volunteers.

"Serving on the IAP selection committee is one of the most rewarding and exciting points in my work calendar all year. Meeting young people with

the ir live s

drive , c o n vi c ti on

and a

visi o n f o r

is a boost to my spirit. It is an

honor for me to be able to support a program that was designed specifically for Baltimore City students as a pathway to and through college. Giving my time is a small investment for a big payoff.”

48

PARTN ERS

Danista E. Hunte Executive director, Child First Authority, Inc. Member since 2001

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM 2001–PRESENT

Janiceia Adams ’07*

Carolyn Crews ’09*

Gary L. Kaplan ’94

Bruce Sherman

Helen Amos

Walter L. Dozier

Beatrice Key ’88

Amara Sillah ’10*

Tedd Alexander lll

Juliet Eurich

Diane Marimow

Kelly Smith ’06*

Gloria Aparicio-Blackwell

Diana Forbus

Warren McKay

John Starling

Rahn V. Barnes

Tom Gildee

Mardell Moffett

Helen Szablya

Jonathan Barrett ’87

Anne Girod

Ovetta Moore

Jimmy Tadlock

J. Kenneth Battle, Jr.

Barbara Goliday

Kathi Muhammad ’77

Jay Turkhia ’11

Christie Bianco ’97

Mary Graham-Fisher

Randall Phyall

Ralph Tyler

DeAngela Boone ’10

Patricia A. Granata-Eisner

Yavona Williams Pirali ’05

Rodney Washington ’87

D. Stuart Bowers ’81

Sarah Grebow

Yolanda Pruitt ’78

Thalia T. Washington ’00

Jane Brown ’72

Desiree Griffin-Moore

Tony Randall

Kimberly Watson

Karmen Walker Brown

Shannon R. Gundy

Alison L. Richman ’69

Kathy Keys Waymmann ’81

Howard Burnett

Bill Haris ’94

Stuart Ritter ’89

Timea Webster

James E. “Eddy” Campbell

Stephen Haylek ’80

Jose Rodriguez

John Wetzelberger lll ’71

Nancy Canales ’13*

Danista E. Hunte

Terry M. Rubenstein

James Wheeler

Michael F. Canning, Sr. ’61

Luwanda Jenkins

Pranav Saha ’02

Jack Wilen ’72

Alexandra Carter

Derrick Johnson ’00

Jonathan Schaechter ’87

Randal Brewer Williams ’10*

Susan Chong

Tina Jolivet

Marilyn Schaftel ’65

Frank Williams

Jonathan Claiborne ’77

Sheila D. Jones ’74

Robert B. Schaftel ’62

Tiana Wynn ’05*

Olivia Coates ’08*

Essence Jordan ’05*

Donald C. Scheeler ’85

Jennifer Covahey ’08*

Leronia A. Josey, Esq.

J. Keith Scroggins ’79

Dekebra Arrington Crowe ’11*

Bahareh Kamali ’97

Darian Senn-Carter ’08*

UNIVERSIT Y OF MARYL AND

*IAP alumni

PA RT N E R S

49

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

B a l t i mo re C i ty C o u nc i l

•

B u i l di ng S t e ps

•

C o l l e g e Bo u nd F o u nd a t i on

•

M e ri t

•

P ri nc e G e o rg e ’s C o u nty C o u nc i l

” Because of the Incentive Awards Program, every year several outstanding Baltimore

City public school graduates are able to attend and graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park without incurring any debt. IAP’s generous financial and advising support has made a tremendous impact on these students’ collegiate journeys over the last twenty years. CollegeBound is grateful

Cassie Motz Executive director, CollegeBound Foundation

for our longstanding partnership with IAP, and is happy to provide an additional source of support for the program’s students through CollegeBound’s IAP Book Award.

Congratulations on twenty years

of

positively changing the trajectory of the

lives of Baltimore City Schools graduates!”

PA RT N E R S

51

DONORS

Over the last 20 years, the power of education and the contributions of many supporters have helped transform the lives of our students and secured the future of the Incentive Awards Program. We are deeply grateful to all the friends and donors who have joined with us to make this life-changing opportunity possible for our students through named scholarships and other support.

How better to invest in the community than through the young people?

This program gives really

promising young people

…the opportunity to accomplish something on their own. In turn, these kids will realize that there are people who are willing to give back to the community, and we hope they will follow in the same footsteps.

Barry Gossett

54

PARTN ERS

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

I have been privileged to watch IAP students become alumni and go out into a challenging world. I have enjoyed reading about their As ex-Baltimoreans, my wife and I realize the great need for a closer bond between the university and Baltimore.

This program serves two purposes — it benefits the students and it brings the city and the university

together .

inestimable successes .

And I am proud that so many of their successes can be credited to the University of Maryland Incentive Awards Program.

Suzanne G. Valenstein

Murray A. Valenstein ’40

UNIVERSIT Y OF MARYL AND

PA RT N E R S

55

TRANSFORMATIVE GIFT

A nearly $7 million gift from a Boston couple will significantly increase the size and longterm impact of a University of Maryland program that supports promising students from selected areas of the state.

Starting in Fall 2021, five freshmen from Montgomery County each year will be awarded four-year scholarships, receive mentoring and join a tight-knit peer community in the Incentive Awards Program (IAP)—which until now comprised students in Prince George’s County and Baltimore—through the funding from Phillip and Elizabeth Gross and a matching grant from UMD and the Clark Challenge for the Maryland Promise Program (MPP).

It is the largest-ever donation to IAP, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, and to the Maryland Promise Program, created by a 2017 investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation to provide scholarships to underserved populations from the state of Maryland and D.C. “We’re leveraging matching grant money, and we’re supporting outstanding students in a program where they have a very high chance to succeed and high expectations to perform and impact the community,” Phill Gross said. “Put that together and it was easy for Liz and me to get involved.”

The gift, the biggest to the university since Darryll J. Pines assumed its presidency in July, supports both of his top priorities: to promote excellence and to create an inclusive, multicultural campus community.

PARTNERS

57

“I’m energized by the generosity of Phill and Liz Gross, whose approach to philanthropy is uniquely unbound by geography or personal affiliation,” Pines said. “By giving to IAP and the Maryland Promise Program, they are expanding access to a world-class University of Maryland education, and we are deeply grateful.”

Phill and Liz Gross, whose substantial philanthropy extends across the arts, higher education and youth programs, are particularly moved by those that focus on diversity and mentorship, as IAP does.

58

PARTN ERS

“I really, really believe we all have mentors in our lives who changed the trajectory of our education or our careers, and we believe that diversity is critical, but it’s not going to happen by itself,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to be in the situation that we’re in, and we feel it’s an obligation to try to support many, many different programs that achieve these important goals.” ]

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

e all have mentors in W our lives who changed the trajectory of our educat ion or our careers.

—PHILL GROSS

.

ADVISORY BOARD William A. Cohen Undergraduate Studies University of Maryland

Barry Gossett The Gossett Group

Chuck Daggs ’69 KIPP Bay Area Schools

Daniel I. Millman ’84 Chairman Turner Impact Capital LLC

Barbara Gill ’85 Enrollment Management University of Maryland

C.D. Mote, Jr. Honorary Chairman University of Maryland

Michelle Packer University Relations University of Maryland J. Keith Scroggins ’79 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Craig A. Thompson ’92 Venable LLP

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Academic Achievement Programs

Office of Extended Studies

Conferences & Visitor Services

Office of Letters & Sciences

Department of Dining Services

Office of Student Financial Aid

Department of Resident Life

Office of Undergraduate Admissions

Department of Transportation Services

Pre-College Programs

New Student Orientation

60

PARTN ERS

I N C E N T I VE AWA R D S PRO GR A M

C e l e b r at i n g 2 0 y e a r s o f t h e I N C E N T I V E AWA R D S P R O G R A M At th e u ni v ersi ty o f ma ry la n d