Three elementary school students, three middle school students, and four high school students from across the county are among the first-time winners of the 2015 Carson Scholars.
The awards are given annually by the foundation of retired Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson. The Carson Scholars Fund awards college scholarships to students in grades 4 through 11 who excel academically and are dedicated to serving their communities. Scholarship winners receive the honor of being named “Carson Scholars” and are awarded an Olympic-sized medal and a trophy for their school to celebrate their accomplishments.
In addition to the 10 first-time winners, 21 students were selected as repeat winners.
Each of the first-time winners will receive a $1,000 scholarship that can be used at the college of their choice upon enrollment. Each repeat winner – designated as Recognized Carson Scholars – earns a recognition pin and certificate, and is honored at the annual awards banquet.
The first-time winners are:
- Chauncey Heyward, Grade 5, Freetown Elementary School
- Lacey Kelley, Grade 5, Woodside Elementary School
- Molly Kloss, Grade 5, Crofton Elementary School
- Rebekah Beutler, Grade 8, Crofton Middle School
- Shanley Honarvar, Grade 8, Magothy River Middle School
- Paris Sistilli, Grade 7, Magothy River Middle School
- Jahnavi Kola, Grade 11, Old Mill High School
- Ember Lucier, Grade 11, Glen Burnie High School
- Sandra Sandeep, Grade 11, North County High School
- Eric Zhao, Grade 11, Meade High School
Recognized Carson Scholars are (with numbers of years in parentheses): Amanda Brandeen, Severna Park High School (5); McKenna Brennan, Severna Park High School (7); Blair Bristow, Broadneck High School (5); Lyndsay Brooks, South River High School (3); William D’Antoni, Old Mill Middle School-North (2); Elisabeth Dixon, Annapolis High School (7); Grace Dixon, Annapolis High School (5); Emily Durell, Arundel High School (5); Jacqueline Foley, Annapolis High School (6); Hope Gilbert, Magothy River Middle School (5); Sophia Hartman, Magothy River High School (2); Connor Jaenke, Broadneck High School (5); Megan Killpatrick, Severna Park High School (6); Claire Kintzley, Severna Park High School (2); Brendan Martin, Severna Park High School (7); Lindsey Mountcastle, Broadneck High School (3); and Lexi Ordakowski, Severna Park High School (3).