GGCC Awards $12,000 in Scholarships & Raises Another $22,950

The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC) with the help of its donors, awarded four Montgomery College students with Montgomery College Scholarships at its Annual Celebration Dinner & Awards Ceremony on December 3.

It was a great evening for the Chamber. $12,000 was awarded to four Montgomery College students, with different majors– electrical engineering & computer science. And the GGCC held its first live auction in an effort to garner additional revenue to support future giving and an endownment.

In addition to funding current scholarships, the Chamber has established an endowment for future giving. The endowment is currently at $58,000, with the goal of $100,000. This will ensure that the GGCC continues to support Montgomery College in perpetuity.

“I am so proud of our Chamber. We set a very high goal for the evening and we surpassed it. We raised $22,950 – and I’m still hoping we get another $50 in the mail”, said Marilyn Balcombe, GGCC Executive Director.

(l:r) Jim Muir, Vice President, Hughes Network Systems, LLC; Christopher Roque, Montgomery College student; Margaret Latimer, Vice President and Provost, Montgomery College Germantown Campus; Jalalah Abdullah, Montgomery College student, Jerry Therrien, President, Therrien Waddell, Inc.; Marilyn Balcombe, President & CEO, Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber & Matthew Motley, Montgomery College student at the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber Scholarship Award Presentation at the Chamber’s Annual Celebration Dinner held on December 3.
(Photo Credit: John Keith, John Keith Photography)

About the students:

Matthew Motley is a Computer Science major who currently has a 4.0 GPA. Motley volunteers at local rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and psychiatric institution during holidays and breaks from school. He is currently coordinating a group to participate in a walk for Alzheimer’s research in honor of his grandmother and great grandfather.

Jalalah Abdullah is a Computer Science major with a GPA of 4.00. She is a learning assistant for Introduction to programming and offers tutoring for Computer Science to pass on her knowledge of Computer Science.

Riya Gandhi is a Computer Science major with a GPA of 3.71. Gandhi is very active at Montgomery College, participating in Student Senate and other leadership organizations. She is also a New Student Orientation Leader, where she gives tours to new students to help them adjust to college.

Christopher Roque is an Electrical Engineering major with a GPA of 3.22. While at Montgomery College, Roque has participated in several Alternative Breaks which allowed him to travel with other MC students to areas of the country that are in need of assistance. In addition to his studies and volunteering, he is a member of the Army Reserves.

The GGCC scholarship committee is chaired by GGCC Board Member & Hughes Network Systems Vice President Jim Muir. Muir manages donations yearly from Chamber Members and GGCC Past Chairs who step up every year and make individual and in some cases personal donations.

The GGCC is active in providing business-to-business networking opportunities throughout the year: a collective voice in local, regional, and state legislative affairs, professional development opportunities and other services that enhance the business environment.

The GGCC is located at 910 Clopper Road, Suite 205N, Gaithersburg, MD. To learn more about the GGCC visit us at www.ggchamber.org. Find us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gaithersburg-Germantown-Chamber-of-Commerce/64339954570. And on Twitter at @GGCCNEWS.

About Laura Rowles

Laura authors the blog Your Success is Our Business on MyMCMedia. Laura is the Director of Events & Marketing for the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce - a member-based organization of businesses that have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic, commercial and industrial progress in our communities. The area's economic well-being is a result of the caliber of work that is done by the Chamber. The Chamber has a major impact on business, income and future growth of the area. My position at the Chamber - Director of Events & Marketing - affords me the opportunity to plan quality events for our Members and market the Chamber is a variety of avenues. At the GGCC, we typically have around 30 events each year including: breakfasts, lunches, after-five's, ribbon cuttings and special events. The consensus is we have high quality events with good energy. In 2012, we had over 2,040 people visit our events. Most our events are free to Members so securing sponsorships for all events. Additionally, I am responsible for planning networking, overseeing the budget and marketing of all events in order to make them successful. Lastly, I coordinate all marketing and communication efforts of the GGCC including weekly email blasts, its quarterly newsletter, all social media platforms, media relations and community outreach.

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