Seventy-one scholarship awards were given to deserving students from St. Mary’s County public and private high schools during the Common Scholarship Application Awards Breakfast 2010 on May 14. St. Mary’s Business, Education and Community Alliance, Inc. President Bob Schaller reminded the recipients that with these awards, “The community is reaching into their pockets and making an investment in your future.”

To open the ceremony at the J.T. Daugherty Center, graduating senior Taylor Harris from Leonardtown High School sang the National Anthem, the Spring Ridge Middle School Rhythm Club performed and Sheriff Tim Cameron shared his remarks on the importance of higher education.
This year, 196 applications were received into the Common Scholarship Application pool. More than $1 million has been awarded in the past three years, all derived from local groups. Many of those groups offer field-specific scholarships for teaching, science, agriculture, and medicine.
BECA gave awards to twenty students, several of whom are pursuing degrees in nursing and medicine. Schaller highlighted the hard work of each graduating senior and said while selecting this year’s recipients, “hope and promise” was evident.
The Lexington Park, Charlotte Hall and Leonardtown Rotary clubs, Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, and the St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce granted awards to selected students. The Leonardtown High School Class of 1989, Marine Corps Aviation: John Glenn Squadron, and Compass Systems also presented awards to their hand-picked recipients. Several more local groups extended scholarship awards as well.
The SMC Public Schools Retirements Association and the Kevin Igoe scholarships both went to students seeking a degree in teaching.
Schaller encouraged any group that offers a scholarship to take part in the Common Scholarship Application process facilitated by BECA. This lets students submit a single application for multiple scholarships, helping connect students in need with the organizations that provide the much-needed funding for higher education.
For more information on BECA and the Common Scholarship Application in St. Mary’s County, visit  http://www.smcbeca.org/BECA/.