2021 Marks Largest Award Designation Since Program’s Creation
SECU, Maryland’s largest state chartered credit union, announced its 2021 SECU MD Foundation Scholarship Recipients. The SECU MD Foundation Scholarship Program awarded $115,000 in scholarships to 28 SECU members spanning communities across the state who will be attending a trade, technical school, college or university for the fall 2021 semester.
Since the Scholarship Program’s inception in 2007, SECU and the SECU MD Foundation have awarded over $700,000 in scholarships to more than 250 students statewide to help offset the financial burden of earning a degree.
In recognition of the Scholarship Program’s 15th anniversary, the program is awarding $115,000 in scholarships for the 2021–22 academic year. The program exemplifies SECU’s ongoing commitment to empower access to education.
“Our Scholarship Program is built on the foundational tenet that cost shouldn’t serve as a barrier to pursuing one’s dreams,” said Becky Smith, EVP and chief strategy & marketing officer for SECU Maryland and executive director of the SECU MD Foundation. “Instead, this is a bright opportunity that opens doors for the next generation of changemakers.”
A full list of scholarship winners is listed below:
| Scholarship Winner | School |
| Aisha Asare (grand prize winner) | University of Maryland, Global Campus |
| Christina Asare | Georgetown University School of Medicine |
| Ayomide Awobajo | University of Maryland, College Park |
| Simon Barn | University of Maryland, College Park |
| Jaden Buszinski | Berklee College of Music |
| Megan Chang | University of Maryland, College Park |
| Morgan Edwards | Bowdoin College |
| Joy Frimpong | Emory University |
| Mahelet Gennene | American University |
| Lenora Knowles | University of Maryland, College Park |
| Assiata Kamagate | University of Rochester |
| Thomas Long | University of Strathclyde |
| Ericka Lowery | Community College of Baltimore County |
| Kwankou Mbayu | University of Maryland, Global Campus |
| Tyliah McDonald | University of Maryland, College Park |
| Keerthana Merugu | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Grant Mobley | American University |
| Brooke Nixon | Christopher Newport University |
| Ngeri NNachi | University of Maryland, Baltimore County |
| Anna Petersen | University of Maryland, College Park |
| Uchechi Roxo | Radford University |
| Juan Sebastian (grand prize winner) | Salisbury University |
| Samantha Steinberg | University of Delaware |
| Benjamin Tellie (grand prize winner) | George Washington University |
| Zachary Wandalowski | University of Maryland, College Park |
| Annina Wells | Goucher College |
| Alexsis White | Louisiana State University |
| Jenna Wright | Towson University |
While recipients enjoyed a virtual celebration in 2020 due to the necessary safety precautions of the pandemic, the SECU MD Foundation celebrated this year’s winners in a drive-thru celebration with fanfare at the corporate office on June 24.
The SECU MD Foundation’s 2022 Scholarship Program will be launched by February 2022. Please reach out to secumdfoundation@secumd.com with questions regarding the Scholarship Program.
About SECU (State Employees’ Credit Union of Maryland)
SECU (“see-Q”), Maryland’s largest state-chartered credit union, serves 260,000 members across the state. As a member-owned not-for-profit, SECU puts its members first. Membership is open to all Maryland state employees and their families, University System of Maryland students, graduates, staff and their families, Bank At Work partners, and many others. Headquartered in Linthicum, Maryland, SECU has 22 financial centers and provides access to 30,000 free ATMs through the CO-OP network. With more than $4 billion in assets, SECU ranks among the top 60 credit unions nationwide based on total assets in the U.S. insured by NCUA. For more information, visit www.secumd.org or follow SECU on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About the SECU MD Foundation
The SECU MD Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by the contributions of SECU members, promotes a stronger Maryland by empowering access to education, supporting health and wellness, and serving as a catalyst for community development. For more information, visit www.secumdfoundation.org.
