France-Merrick Scholarship Program

The Shriver Center coordinates this undergraduate scholarship program, funded by the France-Merrick Foundation. For 25+ years, this scholarship is available for students who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to service, leadership, and civic engagement on the UMBC campus and in Baltimore City.  The France-Merrick Scholarship Program seeks to combine service and reflection, build relationships, and strengthen networks to affect meaningful change.

Scholarship Awards:

Fellows are awarded a scholarship that goes towards tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board expenses.  This will not exceed $15,000, which is distributed across the academic year.  Fellows will engage in service connected with Baltimore City;  serve in leadership roles (which includes convening meetings for the France-Merrick Scholarship Program), support meaningful professional development, and serve as ambassadors of service at UMBC.

Scholars are awarded a scholarship of up to $3,500, which is distributed across the academic year. Scholars will engage in service connected with Baltimore City, support meaningful professional development, participate in meetings, and serve as ambassadors of service at UMBC. The number of Scholars and awards vary each year, depending on the strength of the applicant pool and available scholarship money.

 

Eligibility criteria 

• Be a U.S. citizen
• This opportunity is limited to Shriver Living Learning Community Peer Mentors, past and current.
• Be an Undergraduate Student at the beginning of the upcoming Fall semester of the award year.  Applicants’ graduation date should be no sooner than that following May.
• There will continue to be cohort building in this UMBC Scholarship program. Selected students MUST attend UMBC both semesters during the academic year ahead to be considered.
• Demonstrated experience in service to the Greater Baltimore community.
• France-Merrick Fellows and Scholars will continue to participate in service to the Greater Baltimore community during the award year in meaningful ways. Shriver Center Staff will work with recipients to identify community engagement opportunities.

 

2022-23 RECRUITMENT  

There are opening for 2-3 Scholars in 2022-23.

 

If you meet the criteria, you can apply by visiting Scholarship Retriever.

 

Questions?  Contact:

Lori L. Hardesty, MPA
Associate Director, Applied Learning & Community Engagement
UMBC/The Shriver Center
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
(410) 455-2493 (office)
lhardesty@umbc.edu

 

2020-21 Cohort

Fellows:

• Fehintola Elizabeth Bright-Awonuga ’22, Health Administration & Public Policy
• Princess Sara Njemanze ’21, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Entrepreneurship and Innovation minors

Scholars:

• Rees Draminski ’22, Computer Science and Philosophy
• Keren Herran ’21, Individualized Study Program “Global Health Considering Environmental Factors”
• Maia Parker ’22, English, Elementary Education Certificate
• Hager Younes ’22, Biological Sciences, Psychology and Arabic minors

2019-20 Cohort

Fellows:

• Fikir Ejigineh ’20, Information Systems
• Princess Sara Njemanze ’21,Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Entrepreneurship and Innovation minors

Scholars:

• Fehintola Elizabeth Bright-Awonuga ’22, Health Administration & Public Policy
• Rees Draminski ’22, Computer Science and Philosophy
• Keren Herran ’21, Individualized Study Program “Global Health Considering Environmental Factors”
• Maia Parker ’22, English, Elementary Education Certificate
• Hager Younes ’22, Biological Sciences, Psychology and Arabic minors

 

2018-19 Cohort

Fellows:

• Luwam Gebreyesus Health Administration and Public Policy
• Jamey Sultan Emergency Health Services

Scholars:

• Evan Avila Economics & Political Science 

• Fikir Ejigineh Information Systems

• Meheret Gebreegziabher Biology, B.S. & Information Systems (Minor)

• Jessica Linus Health Administration and Public Policy

• Princess Sara Njemanze  Chemical Engineering & Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Minor)

• Ayla Novruz Psychology

• Shiona Wijesekara Economics & Mathematics

 

2017-18 Cohort

Fellows:

Yamini Narayan  Health Administration and Public Policy

Morgan Zepp  English Literature and Global Studies, Spanish & Writing 

Scholars:

Kayla Addai  Biology B.A., Music

FeiFei Ma  English; East Asian Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies

Stephanie Milani  Computer Science and Psychology

Becca Nolder  Social Work, Music

Jasir Qiydaar  Media & Communication Studies, Writing

Savannah Steinly  Chemical Engineering, English

Nailah Turner  Psychology

 

2016-17 France-Merrick Cohort Awardees. From left to right, bottom row Isabel Geisler; second row, Markya Reed, Nimasha Fernando, Amy Hoffman, Lavanya Garnepudi; third row, FeiFei Ma and Jaelyn Bos; top row, Coordinator Lori Hardesty and Corrin Markey. Not pictured: Shoba Kadavil. Photo taken by Marlayna Demond ’11.