GGCC Awards $8,700 in Scholarships

The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber with the help of our donors, awarded five Montgomery College students with Montgomery College Scholarships at its Annual Celebration Dinner & Awards Ceremony. In addition to funding current scholarships, the Chamber has established an endowment for future giving. The endowment is currently at $42,000, with the goal of $100,000. This will ensure that the GGCC continues to support Montgomery College in perpetuity.

“This is one of the most important things we do at the Chamber. We are committed to work force development and do what we can to make education accessible to everyone,” said Marilyn Balcombe, GGCC Executive Director.

$8,700 was awarded to five Montgomery College students, with different majors– civil,chemical & mechanical engineering. Below is a briefing on four of the students that attended the dinner.

Daniel Kudzo Asiamah – $1,200

• Civil Engineering Major – 3.13 GPA
• In his spare time volunteers for MANNA food-smart sacks at Rockville
• Volunteered at a local middle school for a Robotics competition
• His goal is to transfer to the University of Maryland, College Park to pursue undergraduate studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering
• He aspires on obtaining a PhD in Civil Engineering and making a difference in the world

Irina Valeryevna Koltsova – $2,500

• Civil Engineering Major – 3.94 GPA
• Volunteers about fifteen hours a week at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD. She is grateful to have the opportunity to familiarize herself with the various laboratory equipment’s available and learn various software programs.
• After completing her studies at Montgomery College, she plans on transferring to one of the universities in the State of Maryland and pursue a degree in chemical or bimolecular engineering.

Adrian K. Johnston – $2,500

• Chemical Engineering – 3.76 GPA
• Conducted an individual research project that addressed the benefits and downfalls of green chemistry.
• He is eligible for the Dual Degree Partnership Program between Montgomery College and Georgia Tech as that’s the school he plans to transfer to.
• He has great goals for the future – in 2019 he intends on attending weekly seminars, serving as a teacher assistant and conducting regenerative medicine research as a chemical engineering. And in 2014 he plans on having his PhD and serving the worldwide community.

Meheret Solomon Hailu – $1,250

• Civil Engineering Major – 3.34 GPA
• Immediately after high school he developed an interest for his major and decided that this was the educational path he wanted to pursue.
• Active with the Ethiopia Student Association Student Club (ESA)
• Active with the Science, Technology Engineering and Math Student Club
• In terms of transferring institutions, he is contemplating University of Maryland, College Park, University of Texas, Austin, Yale or Washington University.       He would like to pursue a double major program in civil engineering and structural analysis or environmental engineering.

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 following companies support the GGCC Scholarship / Montgomery College Scholarship Foundation:

• Gaithersburg Germantown Chamber of Commerce
• Genesis Security Systems, LLC
• Hughes Network Systems, Inc.
• Therrien Waddell, Inc.

Past Presidents of the Chamber & individual contributors who have supported this cause include:

• Daria N. King
• Dr. and Mrs. John G. Compton
• Anita Durall Anderson
• Mr. & Mrs. James G. Muir, III

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.

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.

View all posts by Laura Rowles