2026 Leading Women Awards Celebrate Harford County Women

In honor of Women’s History Month, Harford County celebrated local women of the past, present and future at an awards ceremony on March 7.

The Harford County Department of Housing & Community Services and Commission for Women held their 2026 Leading Women Awards ceremony at the Maryland Golf & Country Clubs in Bel Air. The awards recognize young women who are dedicated to compassionate community service and superior academic achievement. This year’s ceremony also honored the late Dr. Jacqueline Cordes Haas as the 2026 Leading Woman of Yesterday and keynote speaker, Vickie Ensor Bands, MSA, MSN, RN, as the Leading Woman of Today.

There were 22 young nominees for the 2026 awards: Adeline Bogert, Fallston High School; Rayna Chen, Fallston High School; Alexandra Croucher, Fallston High School; Kaylee Dillard, Fallston High School; Anya Ehrsam, Havre de Grace High School; Campbell Fox, Fallston High School; Sara Frist, Fallston High School; Alyse Giuffrida, The John Carroll School; Kendall Haun, Fallston High School; Jenniva Johnson, Edgewood High School; Reagan Kolego, The John Carroll School, Emma Mitchell, Fallston High School; Gabriella Murphy, Fallston High School; Vibha Nanduri, Bel Air High School; Anna Newman, Fallston High School; Olivia Parker, Fallston High School; Ruby Reddel, Fallston High School; Careina Rowe, Fallston High School; Joelle Royster, Edgewood Middle School; Emily Simmons, The John Carroll School; Lillian Taylor, Havre de Grace High School; and Alexa Wilson, Fallston High School.

The 2026 Leading Women Award winners are Joelle Royster for grades 7 – 8; Alyse Giuffrida for grades 9 – 10; and Reagan Kolego, Vibha Nanduri and Anna Newman for grades 11 – 12.

Joelle Royster is an eighth-grade student at Edgewood Middle School who enjoys volunteering at the Abingdon Library and her school’s care cottage – a place for students in need to get free necessities.With a 4.0 GPA, she is president of the National Junior Honor Society and an ambassador for Envision by Worldstrides, an organization of educational travel programs.Joelle is the STEP team captain and active member of the Student Government Association and the school choir.Her future goals are to complete college and pursue a career in either medicine or law.Joelle admires poet Maya Angelou for her bravery, political activism and impactful poetic writing.She believes a leading woman is respectful, compassionate, understanding and hard-working – which makes for not only a good leader, but a good person.

Alyse Giuffrida is a sophomore at The John Carroll School.She is a student representative of the Regional Association of Student Councils, sophomore class president, secretary of the Architecture, Engineering and Design Club and a member of the OneLove Club.With a GPA of 4.59, Alyse participates with the Science Olympiad team, is a Carroll Scholar and AP Capstone student, and has received Diplomas with Distinction in Fine Arts, Science and STEAM.She volunteers at Fallston United Methodist Church and provides respite to parents with children at the Ronald McDonald House. Alyse is on the soccer team, a Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader and a volunteer youth lacrosse coach.She plans to attend Johns Hopkins or the University of Maryland to become a pediatrician and is a member of the Future Healthcare Workers of America. She is also on track to complete emergency medical technician training. Alyse admires filmmaker and photographer Valerie Taylor for her advocacy and protection of marine wildlife.She believes a leading woman should create empowering environments for other women to succeed.

Reagan Kolego is a senior at The John Carroll School, where she is a peer minister and president of the Seeking Christ Club.She volunteers at Harford Family House and the Catholic Heart Work Camp and is a mentor for LASOS and Harford County Public Schools summer program.Reagan is an entrepreneur and the owner of In The Mix Cakery and supports local bake sales and fundraisers. She maintains a 4.25 GPA and aspires to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and major in international security and political science and ultimately become a Naval pilot.Reagan is the senior class president, co-president of the OneLove club, captain of the soccer team and a youth soccer coach. She admires Adm. Michelle Howard, the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy, for breaking barriers for women as well as and her resilient and humble style of leadership.Reagan believes a leading woman has the responsibility to act with courage, lift others up and lead by example even when it is difficult.

Vibha Nanduri is a junior at Bel Air High School and maintains a 4.0 GPA.She is enrolled in the Project Lead the Way Biomedical program and the founder and president of the Biology Club.Vibha started Courage and Care, an online fundraiser benefiting Ronald McDonald House. As class council president, she has reduced financial barriers for senior festivities through fundraisers. Vibha is the environmental affairs coordinator for the Maryland Association of Student Council, working with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for environmental advocacy.She intends to study public health with a focus on public policy and pursue medicine, specifically oncology.Vibha admires Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree, for her ability to break barriers and combine confidence and public service that continues to influence healthcare today.She believes a leading woman takes initiative when something needs to happen, creates space for others to grow, and refuses to wait for someone else to solve a problem.

Anna Newman is a Fallston High School senior with dual enrollment at Harford Community College.She maintains a 4.625 GPA and is secretary of the National Honor Society, president of the National Math Honor Society and member of the Science National Honor Society.Anna is a five-time Ben Carson scholar and has received numerous awards. She is captain of the Speech and Debate team and a varsity lacrosse manager.Anna is also a staff reporter for the school newspaper and on the Mock Trial team.She volunteers with the Havre de Grace Police Department Safety Camp teaching youth safety lessons and helped to formulate Presents for Peds, which gathers donations for Johns Hopkins pediatric patients. She participates in canned food drives for those in need and organized a donation drive of personal care packages for a military troop in Africa. Anna wants to become a journalist and admires Rebecca Skloot for her ability to tell a story with empathy and allowing her subject to maintain their dignity.She believes a leading woman leads with empathy and by example and gives others the opportunity to grow.

Each winner in their respective category received $1,000 and all nominees received $100 courtesy of event sponsors.

“These outstanding young women are an inspiration,” County Executive Bob Cassilly said. “Their dedication to academic excellence and compassionate volunteerism represents the best of Harford County and we are proud to celebrate their achievements.”

The late Dr. Jacqueline Cordes Haas was honored as the Leading Woman of Yesterday. Dr. Nancy Grasmick, presidential scholar at Towson University and former Maryland Superintendent of Schools, recounted Dr. Haas’s 36-year tenure with Harford County Public Schools, during which she served as a special education teacher, an assistant principal, principal and ultimately as the first woman to be appointed as superintendent to Harford County Public Schools. Dr. Haas was named Maryland Superintendent of the Year for 2008 shortly before she passed away.

The keynote speaker and this year’s Leading Woman of Today was Vickie Ensor Bands, MSA, MSN, RN, and director of community outreach at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health System.Ms. Bands discussed her philosophy of the pillars of leadership including having the confidence to try something new, even if you fail; possessing the integrity to do the right thing when no one is watching; having empathy and making room at the table for others; and relying on collaboration because the best leaders realize they don’t have all the answers.

A photo gallery of the event is online at https://www.harfordcountymd.gov/3520/Leading-Women.

The Commission would like to thank Maryland Golf & Country Clubs for hosting this event and thank the following event sponsors for their generosity: Harford Mutual Insurance Group, Harford County Public Library, Harford County Chamber of Commerce, HarfordTV, Sengstacke Law, LLC and Home Title Company of Maryland, Tenax Technologies, Debbie Schreiber, Bravura Information Technology Systems, Inc., Harford County Republican Women and patron sponsors Allison McCord and Linda Stine Flint.

The Harford County Women’s Commission consists of 15 volunteer members appointed by the county executive and approved by the County Council. Their mission is to support the economic, social, and political equality of women. For more information, please visit www.harfordcountymd.gov/services or call 410-638-3045. Applications for the 2027 Harford County Leading Women Awards will be available in the fall of 2026.