From the Director`s Desk Mary T. Furgol Schedule of Events Volume

of t he Montgom er y Scholars Pro gram
A n H o n o r s Pr o g ra m a t M o n t g o m e r y C o l l e g e
Volume 9
Issue 10
SPRING 2009
From the Director’s Desk
Dear Scholars, Parents, and Friends of Scholars:
It is hard to believe that it is nearly 10 years since the inaugural class of Montgomery Scholars began
their first semester at Montgomery College in the fall of 1999. A lot has happened in the intervening
decade. More than 250 students have entered the program. Over the years, the program has developed
a rhythm, a set of rituals, and its own organic life as students, year after year, go through similar yet never
identical experiences—retreats at Harper’s Ferry, numerous Philo Cafes, colloquiums, skoals, and inner as
well as outward journeys to the summer school at the University of Cambridge.
Well-loved faces who have taught and advised in the program have come and gone, just as the students
themselves eagerly arrive and then, usually less eagerly, leave us two years later with an inevitability that
still has the power to leave us with sad surprise at their departure. The connections will always remain.
It is a pleasure to highlight in this edition of the newsletter the impressive contributions to society of so
many of these fine young men and women. As we prepare to bid a fond au revoir to the Class of 2009,
we also look forward to the many stories and contributions their futures hold.
Queridos Alumnos, Padres de familia, y Amigos del Alumnado:
Es difícil creer que han sido casi diez años desde que la primera clase de Montgomery Scholars comenzó
su primer semestre en Montgomery College en el otoño de 1999. Mucho ha pasado durante esta
importante década. Más de doscientos cincuenta estudiantes han entrado al programa. Durante estos
años, el programa ha desarrollado un ritmo, un conjunto de rituales, una vida orgánica en si al paso que
los estudiantes, año tras año, pasan por experiencias similares pero nunca idénticas como: paseos a
Harper’s Ferry, numerosas reuniones de filosofía, paneles, eventos sociales y jornadas por dentro y
fuera de la escuela de verano en la Universidad de Cambridge.
Reconocidas caras que han enseñado y aconsejado en el programa han venido y se han ido, similar al
hecho que los estudiantes vienen entusiasmados, y usualmente menos entusiasmados, nos dejan dos años
mas tarde con lo inevitable de hacernos sentir una triste sorpresa a su partida. Las conexiones permanecen.
Es un placer resaltar en esta edición del boletín las inspiradoras contribuciones a nuestra sociedad de
muchos de estos excelentes jóvenes. Al prepararnos para desear una cálida despedida a la Clase del 2009,
también mantenemos la expectativa de las muchas historias y contribuciones que sus futuros amparan.
Mary T. Furgol
Director, Montgomery Scholars
[email protected]
Schedule of Events
Afternoon Tea for incoming scholars, Class of 2011 and their families, scholars faculty, and College
administrators: Saturday, May 9, 2008
Skoal for the sophomore Class of 2009 and their families, scholars faculty, and College administrators:
Tuesday, May 19, 6:30–10 p.m., Gudelsky Building, Rockville Campus
Picnic for all past, present, and incoming classes of scholars and scholars faculty: Thursday, May 21,
4–8 p.m., Bohrer Park, Gaithersburg
Graduation for the Class of 2009: Friday, May 22, 9 a.m., Athletic Field, Rockville Campus
Giving Back to the Scholars Program
A number of alumni scholars and their parents have asked about giving back to the Scholars Program and
Montgomery College. The easiest way to make a cash donation is to go to the Web site:
http://appserv.montgomerycollege.edu/onlinegiving and under “Select an area of support” click on
click on “Other” and type Montgomery Scholars Scholarship in the box. During these difficult economic times,
this is more important than ever. Thank you so much!
Clif’s Notes
Why Should Science Majors Become Montgomery Scholars?
By Clif Collins (core professor of world literature)
By Irena Antic (Class of 2006)
T
I
he MC Scholars Colloquium is an event that many of us—
faculty, parents—can’t speak for the students themselves
although it must surely be a relief—have come to recognize
as one of the academic year’s highlights. Every year I know I’ll
leave thinking and saying a similar thing—how impressed I
am by the presentations, by the commitment of these scholars
to their projects, and by their poise and perseverance that send
me home feeling, well. . .better educated. It’s this kind of work
that shows what a truly reciprocal process education is and that
keeps things fresh for a lot of us. This year’s Colloquium lived up
to its billing, yet—for me, at least—it was also something more.
This was partly because I knew this newsletter would be
celebrating the service of MC scholars past and present. Service
is one of those words that I think sometimes get a bad rap.
There’s a certain baggage that comes with it, I guess, depending
on the connotation and how vague the memory of loading up
on hours for high school graduation. On the other hand, there is
that brand of service accompanied by dedication and genuine
passion, which is one reason I have no trouble seeing the mere
completion of a Capstone Project as service learning. If that
project happens to expand out to the wider world, as is often
the case, so much the better.
Glancing through this edition of the newsletter, you’ll find service
used in its broad, ever-widening context and encompassing
everything from acting to providing health care, from constructing
t was a breezy November day in 2004 and I was sitting
in front of the Science East Building on the Rockville
Campus. Thinking about my impending math test, I didn’t
notice one of my classmates who turned the corner and said
hello. Knowing my status as a Montgomery Scholar and my
aspirations of becoming a scientist, he asked: “Don’t you
think that all this history and literature you are reading isn’t
really helping you? Aren’t you afraid that other biochemistry
majors will be better prepared than you?” At the time, I didn’t
have a good answer for him.
Today I do. Having completed a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry,
and moved on to graduate study, I know where he is
coming from because I have heard many people express
similar concerns. But the reality of the situation is that I have
benefited greatly from being a Montgomery Scholar and that
today I can only be a better scientist for it.
a food storage system in Mexico, to advocating for clean water
facilities in South Africa. The profiles are remarkable, as are the
people whom they represent and who themselves embody the
spirit of the Scholars Program.
One of the good things about teaching in the humanities is you
get to stock up on quotations. I’m fairly strong at song lyrics but
tend to be lousy with the heavy duty literary stuff. Every now and
then, though, I still get a little remembrance of lines past. It’s that
light way in the back that suddenly flickers when the right
connection is made. That’s how I came to be thinking late
Monday night about Herbert Spencer, the nineteenth century
writer about whom I know next to nothing—except this:
“Education has for its object the formation of character,” echoed
by Thoreau’s “[And] dreams are the touchstones of our characters.”
But let’s go back to my friend’s questions. By asking me about
the compatibility of the Scholars Program and science, he
exhibited an opinion I encounter often when speaking with
nonscientists. Sure, science is complicated at first, made only
more so by the fact that there is a vast vocabulary to master
when students first begin their studies. This can be hard to
balance with the demanding scholars schedule. That point
stands. However, while the introductory science classes are
deemed boring and perhaps too structured or fact laden for
some students, the upper-level classes begin to bear a lot of
resemblance to the discussion-filled lectures I experienced in
the Scholars Program.
New Faces
In the spring of 2008, we said goodbye to two professors who had taught in the program since its inception: Dr. Mary Gallagher, who taught
anthropology and retired in June; and Professor Roxanne Davidson, who taught Introduction to Human Communication and who, after nine years,
moved on to organize the Beacon Conference, which will be held at Montgomery College in June 2009. We welcome two new professors:
Professor Cindy Pfanstiehl
Professor Rose Piskapas
Cynthia Pfanstiehl received her
M.A. in anthropology from George
Washington University in 1985. Her area
of specialization was in development
anthropology and she completed
an internship at the U.S. Agency for
International Development under cultural
anthropologist, Dr. John Hourihan. Since
1988, Professor Pfanstiehl has worked
as a staff archaeologist for several firms
including Parsons Engineering Science, URS, Kemron Environmental
Services, and Archaeological Testing and Consulting, Inc., where
her primary responsibilities included managing prehistoric and
historic archaeological investigations throughout the Mid-Atlantic
region. Professor Pfanstiehl has been a part-time faculty member for
Montgomery College since 2001 and in August 2008, she became
full time. Professor Pfanstiehl teaches AN101: Introduction to
Social and Cultural Anthropology; AN105: Introduction to Physical
Anthropology and Archaeology; and a learning community entitled,
Culture, Migration, and Ethnic Identity.
Rose Piskapas received a B.A. in
speech communication with a minor
in political science from the University
of Maryland in 1979 and an M.A. in
speech communication with a focus
on intercultural communication,
education, and training in 1982, also
from UMD. With an avid interest in
intercultural communication and
international communication, Professor
Piskapas has taught at George Washington University and the
University of Maryland. In addition to her expertise in speech
communication, she also teaches English as a Second Language.
For several years, Professor Piskapas worked for the
Inter-American Development Bank. She has provided speech
training to international scientists working for the Red Cross and
other organizations. Professor Piskapas is currently the president
of the Maryland Communication Association. At Montgomery
College, she teaches Introduction to Human Communication,
Introduction to Communication Inquiry and Theory, and American
English Speaking and Listening. Professor Piskapas speaks Spanish
and Greek, has two sons, and lives in Olney Maryland.
But it is not simply about lack of discussion in the introductory
science classes. Now that I am in graduate school pursuing a
biochemistry doctoral degree, I can see how my scholars
training and the critical thinking that was so encouraged helps
me on a daily basis. The facts I learned in my introductory
lectures are only the beginning; more importantly, being a
good scientist is about having the ability to approach a problem
from several angles and work through it from different routes.
Most of the methods I use in the lab are products of such
thinking. Coincidentally, this is a skill I picked up from the
Montgomery Scholars Program.
Through graduate school and even before, in the upper-level
science classes, I met science students with different talents
and interests outside biology or chemistry. One thing the good
ones had in common was that they all understood that
protocols and step-by-step linear problem solving often
doesn’t work. These students have realized that protocols are
not there to be followed to the letter, but to be thought about,
criticized, changed, or even trashed if necessary.
2
3
This type of thinking just so happens to be the main lesson I
learned in the Scholars Program: think a lot, do your research,
creatively synthesize the material you know, and propose a
different solution or maybe an amendment to the existing one.
So, in reality, I use the lessons I learned in history, art history,
literature, and philosophy classes every day as a biochemistry
grad student. Isn’t life funny? One last thing I want to emphasize is the incredible ability of the
Scholars Program to open a person’s eyes to current needs of
the world and our immediate environment. Science, I believe,
is going to play a large role in responding to those needs.
Everyone’s involvement in the advancement of scientific
research is, therefore, imperative. At the same time, the Scholars
Program does a great job preparing a scientist for making sense
out of the ethical dilemmas one will undoubtedly face. There,
once again, linear thinking and clear-cut flow charts do not
always work. It is unfortunate that most people get introduced
to science as a set of prescribed formulas with discrete solutions
because nature, which is the object of most (if not all) of
scientific investigation, is complex and fluid. And it is also many
times more fun to realize its intricacies than to mechanically
complete the prescribed steps and see the “correct” result.
Note: Irena attended Walter Johnson High School and
graduated from Montgomery College in 2006. She
transferred to Hood where she graduated cum laude with
a B.S. in biological sciences in May 2008. Currently she is
in the Ph.D. program for integrated life sciences with a
focus on structural biology and protein biochemistry at
Northwestern University, where she was awarded a full
scholarship.
Scholars and Service
Scholars and Service
We would like to give a special mention to a number of scholars who have demonstrated social responsibility in a
remarkable way at home and abroad.
d me or what program
idea where they would sen
lly got the letter, I got
fina
I
I’d be placed in. When
ent I had wanted :
gnm
assi
of
e
typ
the
ctly
exa
servation in Panama.
con
tal
men
iron
env
community
lasts 27 months. It’s
A Peace Corps assignment
three months are
first
The
nt.
me
mit
com
a long
and analyzing
tion
gra
inte
to
ly
dedicated sole
h children not to
teac
I
as
,
community needs. Now
I work to create
as
s,
tree
n
dow
cut
or
h
burn tras
and as I operate on rural
opportunities to recycle,
w that in two years,
deadline schedules, I kno
things will only be
and
ain,
rem
will
k
much wor
get ting star ted.
has its challenges. The
Of course, the Peace Corps
sonally have electricity
per
I
.
vary
s
and
physical dem
my home, but many
in
er
wat
g
and potable runnin
less of difficulties, one of
volunteers do not. Regard
Corps is learning how to
ce
Pea
the
of
s
the element
se in the area to which
tho
as
live in the same way
how to store rainwater,
you are assigned. I’ve learned
a machete, and eat
use
d,
han
by
hes
wash my clot
I have loved my
rall,
Ove
.
every part of a chicken
I would enthusiastically
and
ps
Cor
ce
Pea
the
in
time
5)
strong
Abby Furnish (Class of 200 paring for what recommend the experience to anyonee months
pre
s,
thre
job
and
for
rs
yea
king
Last fall, I was loo
enough to commit two
duate a few months
realize small changes.
I would do when I would gra
to putting in lots of work to
n’t
did
I
s
job
am
dre
of
r language, truly
lots
r
the
ove
ano
ak
ned
spe
scan
to
I
later. As
I have learned
office jobs I
ive
trat
most
inis
and
adm
ely,
the
wis
all
qualify for, and
use natural resources
t thinking of one of
e a member of a small
om
bec
e
hav
I
,
ntly
didn’t really want to do, I kep
orta
imp
had : to join the Peace
k down the street,
the secret desires I’d always
community. Every time I wal
the more
it,
ut
abo
t
by name by children
ugh
tho
eted
I
re
Corps. The mo
I am enthusiastically gre
my
ting
mit
sub
r
an shows up
attractive it sounded. Afte
and adults alike. As one wom
began. I had no
cess
a bowl of soup, I
pro
with
ting
r
wai
doo
the
,
my
at
tion
applica
unexpectedly
than I can ever give.
re
mo
far
g
know that I am receivin
Service Abroad
Michelle Mays (Class of 2002)
Doctors without Borders/
year-long position as a nurse with
a
This past November, I began a
heast state in India on the Burm
nort
a
,
ipur
Man
in
is
My assignment
, multifaceted
ding
-stan
long
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
a
is
e
ther
re
and very complex area whe
border. Manipur is a little known
. Many of our patients have
free, integrated, basic health care
ides
prov
ect
proj
MSF
conflict. The
need of HIV, TB, mental health,
in
ents
pati
y
but we also care for man
acute, basic health care needs,
due to widespread IV drug
ipur
Man
. HIV is particularly prevalent in
a.
antenatal and postpartum care
Burm
from
cked
traffi
s
y availability of drug
use, a consequence of the read
to the health needs in
ing
ond
resp
is conducting assessments and
job
my
on
of
s
part
best
the
of
One
in remote villages, plan a vaccinati
we investigate cases of measles
and villages.
ols
scho
in
the community. In a given week,
ions
sess
n
catio
edu
leaders to organize health
campaign, and work with local
ipur. Though my job is certainly
baby I helped to deliver in Man
first
the
with
me
of
to
pho
Here is a
k for MSF.
wor
to
nity
ortu
grateful for the opp
challenging, I love it and am so
the Montgomery College
Outstanding Alumni Award from
Note: Michelle will receive the
n.
ptio
il 17 awards rece
Alumni Association at an Apr
ed
yland, Baltimore (’04), Michelle nurs
A graduate of the University of Mar
global peace studies at
in
ters
mas
a
ing
plet
com
re
at Johns Hopkins befo
Michelle
is was on children and conflict.
American Universit y (’08 ); her thes
th
You
al
Glob
with
ia
delegation to Bosn
participated in a human rights
participants’
g
asin
incre
de
inclu
tion
niza
Connect ; the aims of this orga
ict
practice of human rights and confl
understanding of the context and
finding positive outlets
and
,
gue
dialo
l
ltura
s-cu
cros
resolution, facilitating
rights con cerns.
for serv ice to prom ote hum an
tion
for a month through an organiza
stine
Pale
and
l
Israe
She also went to
h teaching
yout
an
stini
Pale
with
ks
wor
h
called Contrast Project, whic
ia, primarily photography.
nonviolent activism through med
Rose (W
y
zga) Sim
I origina
pson (C
lly becam
lass of 2
e a nurse
the bush
004 )
wit
pro
met my h viding medical h the idea that I
would b
care in a
usband.
e li
de
After thre
catch a g
e years o veloping countr ving in
limpse o
y. Then I
f working
f my old
a team o
d
lo
re
f 20 docto
c
a
rs, nurse m. I recently trav ally, I was able to
detectab
s, and ph
eled to U
le
armacist
ganda w
we were by Google maps.
ith
to a
able to tr
Working
eat more
with loca village not even
result of
than 1,20
l doctors
the med
and nurs
0 people
ical
being do
es,
in ju
ne to cre need evident in
the comm st six days. As a
ate a perm
unity, rese
anent cli
nic for th
ese villag arch is
ers.
Christina (C
ho
i) Smart (Cla
I’ve had the
ss of 2002 )
opportunity
to go on two
since becom
medical mis
ing a pediat
sion trips
ric nurse. Th
the second to
e first was to
Bangladesh
India in 2006
in 2008. They
experiences
,
have been in
that have im
pressed me
credible
granted in th
with how m
e U.S.: the ac
uc
h we take fo
cessibility of
to obtain ba
r
medical care
sic and nece
, the ability
ssary medic
and Tylenol),
ation (as sim
and adequa
pl
e
as
te medical fa
vitamins
and challeng
cilities. It ’s be
ing to me ev
en humbling
ery time I’ve
who’s spent
encountere
hours trekki
d someone
ng from a ru
only to be to
ral village to
ld there’s no
see a doctor
t much that
and pains be
,
can
sides being
given a limite be done for their aches
and then to
d supply of Ib
receive grat
itude and ap
uprofen;
despite lack
preciation fr
of an “answer
om the patie
.” Of course
amazing inte
nt,
, there have
rventions, to
been some
o—providin
just in time to
g life-saving
a man with Ty
tr
eatment
who might no
phoid fever,
or
t have surviv
ed had our te delivering a baby
induce labor.
am not been
It is mentally
, physically, an
able to
work to do th
d emotionally
ese trips, bu
exhausting
t unquestiona
bly worthwhi
le.
Service Abroad
Amy Gueye (Class of 20
03
,
hapel Hill
7)
ss of 200 y of North Carolina, C mester
la
(C
ry
ru
Alison D nior at the Universit this semester on a se r for
of 2002 )
er (Class y (’05) and a
m
m
a
h
n
ersit
l,
eide
Adam W of Georgetown Univ llege Medical Schoo
a se
uba,
cente
Currently
Havana, C
child care
udying in
work at a
Alison is st as done volunteer
eh
r.
abroad ; sh
in Ecuado
e families
m
co
n
low-i
te
w York Co for Child Family
A gradua
ent at Ne
d
u
st
l
a
Ecuador
ic
rban
me d
rnship in
in their U
te
in
n
a
id
working
,
I)
H
F
Adam d
(C
l
a
ternation
ject.
Health In
ealth pro
arative H
p
m
o
C
l
Rura
Nathalie F
lo
4
)
A graduate of Hood Col
lege (’05) and a medical
student at the University
of Virginia, Amy travelle
d
to Senegal to explore the
reasons behind the
rising cases of cervical can
cer there, the cultural
significance of the illness
, and to set up a national
screening project for wo
men, which should
decrease the mortality and
morbidity from cervical
cancer in that country. Am
y will soon take a year
off medical school to pur
sue a master’s in public
health in international and
women’s health at
Johns Hopkins University
.
5
res (Class
A graduate
o f 2 0 05 )
of
traveled to Smith College (’08),
Nathalie
Nicaragua
through a
economic
Smith
and engin
ee
ri
program w
ng develo
pment
her
students to e she worked with u
niv
develop a
product des ersity
microente
rprise initia
ign and
tive.
traveled to
Cuzco, Peru Nathalie also
, through
Praxis pro
Smith’s
gram ; in C
uzco she vo
at an orph
lunteered
anage, Cas
a de Milag
Miracles),
ros (H
both
using her en working with the ch ouse of
ildren and
gineering
an
improve th
e orphanag d technical skills to
e’s self suffi
ciency.
2005)
an
uiroz (Class of
volunteered at
Fio (Claudia) Q ican University (’07), Claudia has
er
aduate of Am
A gr
.
asylum in Peru
Scholars and Service
Scholars and Service
Service Abroad
Service at Home
Danielle Tropper (Class of 2006)
Teach for America
Bryce and othe
r engineering
students, fund
ed by the Offi
ce
of Student Life
, traveled to
an orphanage
in Guadalupe,
Mexico, this w
inter to consul
t,
assess, and de
velop an
engineering pr
oject to help
the orphanag
e store water.
Bryce and anot
her sophomor
e
scholar, Crysta
l Britto, both
did their caps
to
ne research
Bryce Hoove
projects on pr
r and Crystal
oblems relate
Britto
d to clean wat
(Class of 20
supplies across
er
09 )
the globe. They
Engineers W
will receive a
Montgomer y
ithout Bord
Co
lle
ge
W
or
ld Music Scho
ers and Wat
As part of his
to work with
larship
er for Life
the Office of Eq
first-year serv
ice
uity
Br yce an d a
train as moder
gr ou p of M on learning project,
ators for the Na and Diversity to
tg om er y Sc
tional Issues Fo
fo un de d a ne
Through this
ho la rs
award, they w
rum.
w st ud ent cl
ill help to crea
ub at M ontg
Co lle ge (Eng
pamphlet on
te a topics
om er y
global and do
in ee rs W itho
m
ut Bo rd er s;
es
20 08 newslet
for the Nationa
tic water issue
se e fa ll
ter). In connec
s
l Issues Forum
tion with that
training and w
mentor studen
club,
ill
ts at MC and W
heaton High Sc
on democratic
hool
discussion of
these issues. Th
present their
ey will
research on w
ater related iss
Montgomer y
ues at the
College Thea
tre Ar ts Arena
The Gatherin
Cristian Barrera
as part of
g entitled, “W
ater Music for
May 6, 20 09,
Life” on
at 2: 30 p.m. an
(Class of 2008 )
d an abbrevia
presentation
ted
Currently a junior at
at the Robert
E.
Parilla Perfor
Ar ts Center at
ming
George Washington
7: 30 p. m. that
same evenin
Ticket donatio
g.
University, Cristian
ns will go tow
ar
d
or
U.
ganizations in
N.- sanctioned
traveled to Morocco
support of prov
and sustainabl
iding safe, avai
with Cross Cultural
e water resour
lable,
ces around th
This projec t is
Solutions to do
e world.
part of the U.
N
.
initiative calle
U. N. Water fo
volunteer work in a
r Life.
d
children’s hospital and
at a local orphanage.
After graduating from the Scholars
Program at MC, I pursued my B.A. in
international affairs at George Washington
University. Halfway through my junior
year, a friend of mine was ecstatic about
being accepted to Teach for America (TFA),
a nonprofit organization aimed at closing
the educational achievement gap that
many children in this nation face. They
work toward this mission by recruiting
young, driven leaders from college
campuses around the country to teach in
some of the neediest school districts in
the nation. They train recruits, help them
obtain the appropriate certification in
order to classify as a “highly qualified
teacher”—a requirement of the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001—and
support them throughout their two-year
commitment. By September 2007, I had
made the decision to join the movement
and applied to TFA to become a 2008
corps member. By Thanksgiving break I
was offered a placement in the metro D.C.
region as a special education teacher. Now
I was the ecstatic one.
Military Service
Emil (Parker) Reynolds
(Class of 2001)
2003
Captain, U.S. Army; served from
istan and
to 2008. Emil served in Afghan
at Fort Polk
Iraq ; currently he is working
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Onyeka Udeinya (Class of
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6
7
By May 2008, I found myself at the
induction weekend at the Washington
Plaza Hotel, where I would meet the nearly
200 other recent college graduates who
were selected to teach in the District for
the next two years. Immediately after
our induction into the corps, we were
shipped off to what they called Summer
Institute (a.k.a. Teacher Boot Camp) at
Temple University where corps members
from Baltimore, Camden, Philadelphia,
Connecticut, and D.C. would spend a
gruesome six weeks training to become
excellent teachers. I taught fifth grade
in the morning and had curriculum
sessions in the afternoon where I learned
everything from lesson planning to
teaching phonics, and how to develop
classroom management strategies.
When I came back to D.C. in August, I
interviewed with a public charter school in
Anacostia. This school is part of a national
network of charter schools called the
Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP for
short. The schools were founded by two
TFA alums from Houston in the mid-1990s.
The school I teach at is one of three KIPP
middle schools in D.C. called the KIPP D.C.:
AIM Academy. The school day runs from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., holds mandatory Saturday
school three times a month, and mandatory
summer school—all aimed at closing the
achievement gap by keeping kids in school
for longer hours. I was hired as the eighth
grade special education teacher.
for 60 hours a month while a Montgomery
Scholar. Alicia still returns to Wheaton on
the weekends and currently volunteers
approximately 40 hours a month.
Tim Costales (Class of 2008)
Currently a pre-med major at
Georgetown University, Tim is now a D.C.
emergency medical technician-basic.
To qualify as an EMT, he volunteered
at the Georgetown University Hospital
School began the last week in August
Emergency Room and rides with the
and life hasn’t been the same ever since.
Juggling teaching and the required master’s Bethesda-Chevy Chase fire and EMT
of education coursework at George Mason squad. He is now a member of GERMS, an
all-student run, all-volunteer ambulance
University makes me feel like I’m in
another hectic semester at school, except service that provides emergency
medical service to Georgetown and the
now I can give detention, too! But in all
surrounding area. He is currently studying
honesty, teaching has been one of the
for the National Registry of Emergency
most rewarding experiences of my life.
Medical Technician exam.
Knowing that I am making a difference to
a group of adolescents and helping them
William Plum (Class of 2009)
reach their goals of going to college is
something that will stay with me forever
and influence nearly everything I do for
the rest of my life. Although I am not yet
sure whether I will be teaching for the rest
of my life, I will be at KIPP for the next two
years, and I look forward to watching my
students grow and develop into successful
high school and then college students.
Alicia Carroll (Class of 2006)
Currently a nursing student at Towson
University, Alicia volunteered as an EMT
with the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad
Currently a sophomore, Will volunteers
numerous hours each week as an EMT
in Montgomery County and has also
completed the Firefighter I and II courses
offered through the Montgomery County
Public Safety Training Academy. He
received the Chief A. Marvin Gibbons
Award for Outstanding Academic
Achievement in Essentials of Firefighting,
presented to the student with the highest
grade in the Fire I and II classes combined.
(See fall 2008 newsletter).
Scholars and Service
Scholars Colloquium
By Sarah McIlvried (Class of 2010)
Lights, Cameras, Action!
Several scholars have performed in a
number of events here at Montgomery
College, at the Kennedy Center, and
Off Broadway.
Janice Mays
(Class of 2005)
After graduating
from Scholars, Janice
transferred to Catholic
University where she
graduated with a B.A.
in drama and music
in 2008. Janice took part in numerous
productions at her high school, Covenant
Life, here at Montgomery College, and
at Catholic University. Not many drama
graduates proceed almost immediately
from college to Off Broadway, but Janice
did just that. She starred in the lead role
in the musical drama Dear Edwina at
the DR2 Theatre in New York, for which
she received positive reviews from
The New York Times and TheaterMania.
She was also featured in our local
Gazette newspaper on January 7, 2009.
Congratulations, Janice!
Blythe Crawford
(Class of 2006)
A graduate of
Poolesville High
School, Blythe earned
an associate’s degree
in technical theatre.
While at Montgomery
College she acted in and helped on
the crew of nearly all the shows over
a period of two years—her favorite
was Urinetown. She has since moved
to New York City, where she is living
in Brooklyn and keeping a day job so
she can perform in the evening. She
started a band called The Galt Line.
She and her boyfriend play all over the
city and hope to start recording soon.
Blythe said, “It’s very invigorating and
provides an outlet for SO many of my
interests (artwork, music, performance,
etc.) that I don’t really want to do
anything else right now. I’m hopping
on the road less traveled. But this
above all, “to thine own self be true.”
Sarah Paquette
(Class of 2008)
A graduate
of Damascus
High School
and a violinist,
Sarah performed
frequently while
in the Montgomery Scholars Program
at Montgomery College in chamber
ensembles, the orchestra, and the World
Music Ensemble. Sarah transferred to
UMBC as an English literature major
with a double minor in music and violin
performance. Sarah wrote, “Transferring
from Montgomery College was difficult.
But now as I settle into UMBC, I know
this is the right place for me. Even after one
short semester, UMBC and its professors
have already helped me strive towards my
greatest goal: to be a freelancing violinist
and undergraduate professor. In addition
to performing, I work with a group here on
campus titled “Musicians for World Peace”. It
is a humanitarian-based group of musicians
and artists who plan performance events
in order to raise money for charities and
philanthropy groups.”
Catherine (Gracie)
Jones (Class of 2009)
Gracie graduated
from Poolesville High
School and, while at
Montgomery College,
she has performed in
Little Shop of Horrors,
MacBeth, Chicago (as Roxie), A Year with Frog
and Toad, and The Who’s Tommy. Gracie also
sang the National Anthem at the Honors
Awards in May 2008. Gracie will graduate
from Montgomery College in May and
intends to pursue a degree in theatre. This
summer she will appear in The Lost Colony,
the longest-running drama in the U.S., on
Roanoke Island in North Carolina.
Sarah Lasko
(Class of 2010)
Currently a first-year
scholar and a graduate
of Rockville High
School, Sarah has been
involved with the arts
for some time. She has
performed in several shows at Montgomery
T
alking to my fellow first-year scholars as we waited for the annual Capstone
Colloquium to begin, about to witness what would soon become our reality in the
coming year, we watched as the sophomores went around, making final preparations
for the presentations they have been working on all year. After months of hard work it
was now time to present what they had accomplished. Centering on the word we have
come to know so well in scholars—globalization—the evening was a chance for each
member of the Class of 2009 to relate a self-chosen subject to today’s global society,
each showing complete mastery of his or her subject.
College and with the MC Summer Dinner
Theatre. In 2005, she was in Annie Get Your
Gun; in 2006, Thoroughly Modern Millie and
Urinetown; in 2007, Ragtime and Little Shop
of Horrors; in 2008, A Year with Frog and
Toad; and in spring 2009, Metamorphoses. In
December 2008, Sarah was a tap-dancing
Rockette at the Kennedy Center in the
National Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas
Pops Concert with Marvin Hamlisch.
The scholars’ works were presented either by poster or PowerPoint, and both were
equally inspiring. I took mental notes for next year as I listened to the sophomores
present—this was a class to learn from. Prepared, poised, and professional, they breezed
through their presentations, and it seemed that even as they received numerous
questions from the audience, they always spoke with ease and confidence.
Michael Tondo
(Class of 2009)
A graduate of
Watkins Mill High
School, Michael
starred in the
ensemble in the
Montgomery
College production of The Who’s Tommy.
What impressed me most, however, was not the sheer amount of knowledge scholars
had about their subjects (and I assure you, they knew it inside and out), or even
their ability to answer questions on the spot from the audience, but the enthusiasm
that they had for their topic; it seemed to be contagious, spreading out to reach their
listeners, encouraging them to ask questions, get involved, and make the topics real for
them. It is easy to hear about globalization and think of it as something “out there,” but
this evening I believe it was brought home for each and every person attending.
Ana Palomino
(Class of 2010)
Ana came to the
scholars after
graduating from
Montgomery Blair High
School. She has
a beautiful singing
voice and has performed with the MC World
Ensemble. (Photo taken by Jose Ortega)
The recurring message was that even though globalization has had a negative impact
on certain parts of the world, this is not the final word. The sophomore scholars proved
that although globalization can be negative, it can have a positive impact as well; even
in situations where it has caused problems, globalization also allows for an enormous
amount of hope in bringing about positive change.
Getachew Mengistu spoke about HIV/AIDS in Africa, on why it is so prevalent and on
how globalization has helped certain nations slow its spread and has helped others
become more aware of the problem. Change doesn’t stop on a national level, however,
or even with large organizations. Estefany Carrillo spoke about microfinancing
in poor nations and how lending small loans to women in some of these countries
has created dramatic economic improvements in their lives; the audience showed
great interest in her recommendations on how they can actually donate money to the
organizations involved in this process, to be sent directly to these people and help change
someone’s life. Bryce Hoover spoke about the scarcity of clean, safe water in developing
countries and how globalization has enabled corporations and nonprofit organizations
to address this crisis, and has empowered individuals as well to address the needs of people
in other countries, enabling them to make a global difference in today’s world.
Charles Meadows
(Class of 2010)
Also a first-year scholar
and a graduate of
Seneca Valley High
School, Charles plays
the alto saxophone
with the Montgomery
College Jazz Ensemble.
Claire Kalala
(Class of 2010)
An artist as well as a
growing expert on
hip-hop, Claire came
to the scholars after
graduating from
Montgomery Blair
High School. She presented her first-year
core music fieldwork project on hip-hop
during Black/African-American History
Month here at Montgomery College. Claire
also designed the artwork for this event and
with some of her friends has begun a
T-shirt design company called Blaq Grass.
Although few sophomores in college are actually presented with this challenge of
conducting an independent study, complete with proving one’s own ability to think
about the world independently, by no means are these scholars thrown into this
prematurely. This program prepares them for the challenge and supports them,
allowing them the opportunity to show others and themselves what they are capable
of, and this year’s sophomore class did just that.
The evening was a complete success and I walked away confident in the ability for
change in this globalized society and in the sophomore scholars’ ability to succeed
wherever life takes them; they have definitely proven themselves.
Congratulations to the Scholars Class of 2009 and good luck in whatever you do!
8
9
Congratulations to:
Thanks
New Friends of the Scholars
Congratulations to our new Friends of the Scholars! The following high school teachers were nominated by sophomore
scholars because of the influence they had on them during their educational careers:
The scholars wish to thank the following individuals for their generous
contributions of time and talents during this academic year.
Josephine Ta (Class of 2007) and Tito
Morales on the birth of their son Landon
on February 3, 2009.
Whoa Baby!
Megan (Brittle) and Roberto Lara
(both Class of 2001) on the birth of their
daughter, Paige Fiorella on December
30, 2008—our first baby, both of whose
parents are Montgomery Scholars!
Martha Custis Peters (George
Washington’s Granddaughter)
Elizabeth Keaney
Historic Interpreter
Quantum Physics: Perception
and Reality
Dr. Forrest Hall
Goddard Space Center
Post-Modern Thought
Aram Hessami, Ph.D.
Montgomery College
WEDDINGS
Congratulations to:
Malcolm Royer
(Class of 2006)
who married
Renata Rebeiro on
January 10, 2009
Jeffrey A. Deitchman
Sherwood High School
Nominated by Getachew
Mengistu
Betty A. Nataro
Col. Zadok Magruder
High School
Nominated by Javier Pena
Captain Chris Glass,
U.S. Navy
Covenant Life High School/
Family Schools Program
Nominated by Bryce Hoover
Kathryn M. Reilly
Watkins Mill High School
Nominated by Tim Ossi
Eleanor Goodwin
Winston Churchill High School
Nominated by Sheena Austria
Corey Simko
Quince Orchard High School
Nominated by Joy Liang
The Holocaust and Memory
Bjorn H. Krondorfer, Ph.D.
Professor of Religious Studies
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Japanese Tea Ceremony
Mr. Steve Di Girolamo
Mr. Bill Loftquist
Daniel Hurtado
(Class of 2001)
who married
Jessy Gamara on
August 29, 2008
Latin America
George Scheper, Ph.D.
Faculty Associate
Advanced Academic Programs
Center for Liberal Arts
The Johns Hopkins University
Coordinator of Humanities
CCBC-Essex
Charles Burrall
Seneca Valley High School
Nominated by William Plum
Ana Lopez
Our Lady of Good
Counsel High School
Nominated by Alyssa
Hammerley
Middle East Simulation
Professor Rebecca Cartwright
Is There a Difference Between Minds and Brains?
Wesley P. Jordan, Ph.D., Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
Professor of Psychology, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
10
11
Valerie Josenhans
Montgomery Blair High School
Nominated by Govinda Rubin
Ken Woodard
Connelly School of the Holy Child
Nominated by Emily Thron
Presorted
First Class Mail
U.S. Postage
PAID
Rockville, MD
Permit No. 97
Montgomery Scholars Program
51 Mannakee Street, SV 107B
Rockville, MD 20850
o f t he M ontg om e r y S c hola rs Pro g ra m
A n H o n o r s Pr o g ra m a t M o n t g o m e r y C o l l e g e
Director: Dr. Mary Furgol
Faculty Advisor: Professor Clif Collins
For comments, feedback, or input, please e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Montgomery Scholars Program Mission Statement
The mission of the Montgomery Scholars Program is to recruit 25 diverse Montgomery County high school seniors each year
and to teach them in an intense, nurturing, and stimulating learning community. We are committed to an interdisciplinary
approach to post-secondary education, providing a first-year core curriculum that blends together the four disciplines of
history, literature, world music, and philosophy. This first-year core is team taught and has an emphasis on global perspectives:
early modern to postmodern. In the second year of the program, another team-taught interdisciplinary approach links the
students’ speech class with an honors seminar and international relations class that emphasize independent research and
public speaking, culminating in a Scholars Colloquium. A number of other honors classes are also tied to the core curriculum
and enable students in the program to continue making cross-academic links in anthropology, English, and biology. The aim of
the program is to encourage students to think critically, independently, and globally. We believe the experience in an overseas
academic environment also encourages such thinking, as do co-curricular activities including museum and art gallery visits and
service learning. Fundamentally, we aim to facilitate students in the program to graduate in two years and to pursue their major
at a four-year school; to that end, we also believe in personal counseling to enable students to pursue and fulfill their aims.