Board of Trustees Scholars 2009

Mr. Douglas K. Baldwin, Apprenticeship Scholar

Mr. Douglas K. Baldwin is completing a four-year apprenticeship program as an HVAC technician. He is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. He is enrolled in the Air Conditioning Contractors of America Chapter, National Capital Chapter (ACCA/NCC) program. Mr. Baldwin is employed by Shapiro & Duncan, Inc., a full service mechanical contractor headquartered in Rockville. He previously worked as an electrician at Owens Corning in Jessup, Maryland. Mr. Baldwin graciously agreed to participate in Montgomery College’s “Endless Possibilities” marketing campaign, in which  he has appeared in radio and television advertisements as well as newspaper and bus side advertising. He lives in Laurel with his wife, daughter Sophie and son Sam. The Baldwin family enjoys vacationing in West Virginia and Chincoteague Island.

Ms. Courtney J. Minard, Germantown Campus Scholar

Ms. Courtney J. Minard, a general studies major and a member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. Home-schooled through high school, she took classes part-time at Covenant Life School, where she played on the varsity soccer and basketball teams. She is very active in Covenant Life Church, where she has volunteered in the Sunday school program and participated in the youth group. At Montgomery College, Ms. Minard has made friends from many different cultural backgrounds and has flourished academically with the support of faculty members. She received a Board of Trustees Scholarship as a student at the College. She plans to pursue a degree to become a licensed physical therapist assistant. She lives in Gaithersburg with her parents and two sisters.

Ms. Germaine Y. Nendah, Rockville Campus Scholar

Ms. Germaine Y. Nendah, a premedicine major and a member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. The Buea, Cameroon native was named to the National Dean’s List and was also nominated for the Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship. She has served as a student assistant in the dean’s office at the Rockville Campus for more than a year. In her spare time, Ms. Nendah volunteers for Accessible Home Health Care and serves as a tutor for children at Beall Elementary School through the City of Rockville’s Mentoring Program. In Cameroon, she volunteered at her Catholic church and for the Red Cross Society. In the fall, Ms. Nendah will attend Smith College in Massachusetts on a full academic scholarship, where she will pursue a degree in biochemistry. Eventually Ms. Nendah would like to become a doctor. She lives in Bethesda.

Ms. Awa A. Drame, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Scholar

Ms. Awa A. Drame , a premedicine major with a minor in psychology and a member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. Ms. Drame, a native of Côte d’Ivoire, formerly known as Ivory Coast, has always aspired to become a physician. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother who is her role model and mentor. Her mother, a pediatrician, introduced her to the field of medicine at an early age. Throughout her life, she has spent her leisure time at the hospital helping her mother. When she went to register for classes at the University of Maryland, advisors told Ms. Drame that it would be better to start at a community college, namely Montgomery College. She says that she has enjoyed all of her classes and has become very close with her professors, all of whom have had a profound influence on her. After graduation, Ms. Drame will be attending a summer internship in genetics at the University of Georgia. She lives in Silver Spring.

To be considered for nomination as a Board of Trustees Scholar, students must be eligible for spring commencement by having earned an associate’s degree or by having in progress final requirements for an associate’s degree; must have taken at least 25 of the required credit hours at Montgomery College; and must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 4.0 on all courses at the College. Board of Trustees Scholars receive a cash award to be applied to future tuition or educational purposes of their choice.