When the Scholars Citation Class of 2020 arrived at the University of Maryland in fall 2018, they were wide-eyed freshmen who took part in the usual rites of passage in Scholars: Service Day, excursions related to the annual theme, a kickball tournament the spring of their freshman year. And, while the 984 students’ second year in Scholars fell during the program’s 25th anniversary, “that year turned out to be anything but ordinary,” observes Scholars Executive Director Marilee Lindemann. In March of their second year, the UMD campus shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and these students faced an abrupt pivot to remote learning.
These resilient students nevertheless went on to excel in Scholars, and on Dec. 3, 2020, College Park Scholars celebrated the most exemplary among them. Forty-eight students—a total of four from each of Scholars’ 12 programs—were recognized for outstanding achievement and outstanding citizenship.
An additional nine students were recognized with Scholars’ highest honors:
Meghan Price Scholarship for Leadership and Public Service: Calvin Burns, Environment, Technology and Economy, and Chisom Ojukwu, International Studies
Martha and Ira Berlin Legacy Fund Scholarship: Yael Hamburger, Global Public Health, and Rohan Laljani, Science, Technology and Society
Founders Circle Award: Ira Berlin Writing Award: Ruth Murdoch of Environment, Technology and Economy
Founders Circle Award: Nancy and Ira Shapiro Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award: Abhirami Thaivalappil, Global Public Health
Founders Circle Award: Katherine McAdams Leadership Award: MeiJade Hsu, Business, Society and the Economy
Founders Circle Award: Beth and John Pattison Award for Creativity: Emily Lolli, Arts
Founders Circle Award: Tri-Star Award: Sarah Flores, Arts