President's Scholarship Fund for the University of Maryland

Mandy Arjoon

Mandy gained leadership experience at Towson University where she served as the president and co-founder of the university’s Student Nursing Association and represented the university as the Maryland Nurses Association’s liaison on the State Board of Directors for the Maryland Association of Nursing Students. She has brought her passion as an advocate to her role as a registered nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital by serving as the Pediatric Emergency Department’s liaison for the Wilmer Eye Institute. Mandy hopes to increase her impact on the medically underserved community of Baltimore as a nurse practitioner once she completes her degree from the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

Beth Cocker

Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Beth moved to Maryland in 2007 and earned her BS degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her passion for working with young adults with autism and intellectual disabilities extends beyond her coursework. Beth works at AccessAbility MedCare and volunteers with the Williams Syndrome Association and Autism Speaks, where she takes on roles in leadership and fundraising. Her goal is to create services and programs aimed at helping adults with disabilities integrate into society and strive toward independence. Beth hopes to open her own adult services agency and community safe space, Sophie’s House, named for the student who inspired her.

Henok Habteyes

Henok is a Doctor of Physical Therapy candidate at UMB. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in biology with a psychology minor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Henock serves as a senator in the campuswide University Student Government Association. While his main focus is to earn his doctorate degree in physical therapy, Henok enjoys interacting with diverse populations of people, outdoor activities, and volunteering.

Wajiha Khan

Wajiha was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, until her family moved to Maryland when she was 7. She is in her second year in the Master of Social Work program at UMB. Wajiha has been a part of several research projects, and her primary focus is on immigrant families and individuals. Through her personal experience and work experience as research assistant and mentor, she became aware of the struggles immigrants face during transitional periods and how mental health and/or related issues are highly stigmatized in her community. After graduating from the School of Social Work, she would like to continue her education. This would allow her to create outreach programs supported by her research to provide improved tutoring services, counseling, and peer-to-peer programs.

2017 Scholarship Winner

Damara Morgan

Damara graduated cum laude from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Since obtaining her nursing degree, she has worked as an intensive care nurse. The experience of caring for critically ill patients inspired her to further her career goals of becoming a nurse practitioner. She attends the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she is pursuing a doctoral degree as a family nurse practitioner. She resides in the rural town of Hagerstown, Md., where she lives with her husband. She aspires to advance her career as a nurse while devoting herself to improving the care of patients within her community and providing much-needed preventative care services as a family nurse practitioner.

Monique Singletary

As a social worker, Monique wants to transform grief into a sparking power through clinical work, individual and group therapy, and outreach to social justice organizations. She has planted a seed as a volunteer for a mental health association that empowers students in schools with mental health resources and educates staff about whole child approaches to learning. She also has cast light on child sex trafficking by volunteering to develop a responsive writers’ workshop for survivors. For societal change, her goal is to contribute to counseling centers and mobile on-the-go crisis units to make mental health and psychosocial support a priority for all people, emphasizing gender-based violence.

Scholarship Award Winner 2017

Winnie Trang

Born in Gaithersburg, Md., Winnie earned her BSN degree at the University of Maryland School of Nursing's (UMSON) Universities at Shady Grove. She works full time in the Adult Emergency Department at UMMC while pursuing a Master’s of Science degree in nursing informatics at UMSON. Winnie is an active member of the Patient and Family Education Committee, where she volunteers for health fairs and events in Baltimore to educate the public and help create a healthier community. She hopes to improve the quality and coordination of care by streamlining access to accurate health information through nursing informatics.

Maureen Walker

Maureen earned her BS degree in Art in English, Literature at Salisbury University before joining the Peace Corps and moving to Panama. Her interest in economic justice developed during her time as an English and youth development volunteer in Panama as well as her experience volunteering at the local food bank and family resource center in Seattle. Maureen is interested in working to reform the criminal justice system, especially for returning citizens. She wants to use her voice as a future social worker to add pressure on elected officials in Baltimore to invest in the communities where incarceration has the greatest effect. She wants to continue being active by working with legislators to support neighborhood schools and youth programs while focusing on bringing employment and transportation to these communities. Maureen’s professional goal is to disrupt the cycle of incarceration that continues to dehumanize our citizens. Her long-term goal is to hold a legislative position and be an active member in changing the laws at the city and state levels. She plans to focus her work in Baltimore with the intention of being here long term.

2017 Scholarship Winner

Kacey Yates

Kacey is from Chesapeake City, Md. She went to Wilmington University, where she majored in legal studies and minored in political science. She is a second-year student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. She is interested in public interest law and is a member of the Maryland Public Interest Law Project. She hopes to represent low-income Maryland citizens in civil matters after graduation.