FROM THE COMMITTEE

Three remarkable young Baltimoreans are the recipients of Memorial’s 2024 Young Scholar Award, a $2000 college scholarship offered by our church to outstanding Baltimore City public high school students.

Applicants must be in their senior year at a high school in the Baltimore City public school system, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, have been accepted to a four-year college or university, and have submitted a personal essay. A small committee of Church members review the applications and select awardees based on their academic achievement, community service, and financial need.

This year’s awardees are all members of the class of 2024 at Baltimore City College (BCC), a citywide college preparatory institution with selective admissions and an emphasis on the liberal arts and sciences:

Alisa Davis has loved science her whole life. At BCC she pursued her studies through BCC’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program. In addition to carrying a rigorous academic load as required by IB, Alisa immersed herself in the field of pharmaceutical science. Her life goal is to work in this field to become a cultural bridge between the black community and the pharmaceutical industry. Throughout high school she has held part-time jobs and has volunteered at Paul’s Place, as a BCC Student Government officer, a BCC Science Club tutor and a member and fundraiser for One Love Club and BLAACC (Black/African American Cultural Club). Alisa will attend the University of Maryland’s BioFIRE program in September.
Endia Evans is another science lover whose goal is to become a pediatrician or anesthesiologist. Learning about health disparities in America, Endia has used her initiative to be part of the change to fix those disparities by becoming an active volunteer at City Weeds, a non-profit whose mission is to eliminate food deserts in Baltimore. In addition, she’s maintained a superior grade point average during her high school years, securing internships in the Johns Hopkins University WISE program, and the MERIT Health Leadership Academy. Endia is a member of BCC’s Student Government, as well as many other service activities at BCC and in the greater Baltimore community. Endia will attend Spelman College in September.
Leah Kwateng-Mann has a passion to make the world a better place. Her goal is to study international business and law, become an attorney and provide representation for immigrants to America. Leah’s goal is based on personal experience with teachers and other elders in her life who fought to stay in the US with their families yet lost the battle. Leah is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and maintained an outstanding grade point average while at BCC. She was an officer in BCC’s Student Government as well as a member of the National Honor Society, the National Science Honor Society, the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister Committee, and several other BCC committees. Leah has also volunteered widely in the community, and will attend Spelman College in September.

We know the Memorial community joins us in applauding the achievements of these three remarkable young people.

Would you like to help with this important initiative at Memorial Church next year? Please complete the contact form at the bottom of the page. We will be sure to loop you into the process in spring 2025!

The Memorial Church Young Scholars Award committee

Alex Scott, Chair

Members: Beth Casey, Ginny Hornbeck, Amy Krulak