Celebrating the 2020 Melvin C. High Scholarship Recipients

The Prince George’s County Office of the Sheriff awarded the 10^th Annual Melvin C. High Scholarship Award to four outstanding Prince George’s County High School graduates. This year’s awards ceremony was held virtually via Zoom, with Sheriff High, Chief Asst. Sheriff Darrin Palmer, and members of the Executive Command staff in the Sheriff’s Office participating. The ceremony was hosted by Captain Ecolia Whitmire, Commander of the Community Partnership Section that includes the Melvin C. High Scholarship initiative, the Positive Deputies Assisting Youth (D.A.Y.) Middle School Mentoring Program and the Senior Citizens’ Outreach Program.

Since its inception, the Melvin C. High Scholarship has awarded scholarships to deserving Prince George’s County High School graduates, a program Sheriff High began and fully funded until 2017 when the scholarship was awarded 501c3 status and began receiving partial donations. This year’s four awardees will each receive a $1,000 scholarship that can be used toward the cost of college tuition, fees or books.

The 2020 Melvin C. High Scholarship Award recipients are:
Ms. Kendall Andrews is a Charles Herbert Flowers High School graduate and future student at the University of Maryland who plans to study Computer Science and Communications; Ms. Paris Smalley, another Charles Herbert Flowers High School graduate and future student at Duke University, will pursue a double major in Biology and Philosophy; Ms. A’nya Randall,  a graduate of Surrattsville High School and future student at Frostburg State University plans to study nursing; and Mr. Abhishek Malhotra, is a graduate of Charles Herbert Flowers High School and future student at the University of Maryland whose plans led him to Bioengineering or Aerospace.

Sheriff High was excited to greet the winners and their families virtually, thanking the Sheriff’s Office team that facilitated the event. In introducing keynote speaker, Mr. Mark K. Spencer, Inspector General in the Office of the Sheriff, Sheriff High encouraged students to pursue their dreams vigorously and to remember to come back and give back to community, including home community and school community.

Mr. Spencer told students and their family members that the Sheriff’s support for young people stems from support he received from his community in Mississippi, which supported him when they learned he was going to college. Spencer urged students to think about the changes that COVID-19 has wrought and to consider the ways that they – in pursuit of their dreams – can address many of the world’s problems and change, for the better, some of the things about the world that has been bequeathed to them, such as slowing down the effects of climate change. 

Sheriff High wished the students good fortune in their new pursuits, thanked them for their academic rigor and for applying for the scholarship. Chief Assist. Sheriff Darrin Palmer urged students to consider the members of the Sheriff’s Office as a resource going forward, encouraging them to stay in touch with the Sheriff’s Office for any assistance and advice they may need.

 

For more information contact the Communications and Public Affairs Division at 301-780-8637.

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