The Women’s Board Awards $90,000 in Scholarships

The Women’s Board of MGH supporting MedStar Montgomery Medical Center (MMMC) announced scholarships totaling $90,000 awarded to students pursing a degree in the healthcare field. The 2019 Women’s Board Scholarships range between $250 and $4,500 and were awarded to 55 students. This year’s grantees included graduating high school seniors, undergraduates and graduate students studying in a variety of healthcare fields including nursing, bio-engineering, and kinesiology.

Award recipients are selected by the board scholarship committee based on the applicants’ academic achievement, extracurricular activities, community participation, experience, volunteerism in the healthcare field, financial need, references, and personal statements.

“We are excited to announce this year’s bright and ambitious class of scholarship recipients and celebrate them as they embark on their pursuit of a rewarding career in healthcare,” said Karen Nordstrom, the Women’s Board president. “We’re proud of this scholarship program’s tradition of supporting students who will go on to make a difference in our community.”

For more than 60 years, the volunteer board has awarded qualified scholars in the healthcare field. In 1957, the Jean Bird Scholarship Program was created, named after the wife of Dr. Jacob Wheeler Bird, the founder of Montgomery General Hospital (MGH), which is now MedStar Montgomery. A memorial fund was established to provide financial support to area students. In 1969, the Women's Board assumed responsibility for this scholarship fund and has continued to award honorable students each year.

“Commitment to community has always been the foundation of our hospital, and the Women’s Board of MGH continues to embody that philanthropic spirit,” said Thomas J. Senker, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center president. “We’re proud of the commitment and dedication these women have shown in supporting our next generation of excellent health care providers.”

Since 2015, the Women’s Board, formerly known as the Ladies’ Auxiliary, has also awarded the Peter W. Monge Scholarship of Excellence to an outstanding individual in the areas of leadership, healthcare and community service. The prestigious award was established in recognition of Mr. Monge's 25 years of dedication to Medstar Montgomery Medical Center. This year’s scholarship was awarded this year to Rachel Zemel, a current medical student at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a career as a physician.

All scholarship recipients were announced at the Annual Scholarship Luncheon on June 11, 2019. Last year, the 2018 Women’s Board Scholarship Program awarded $80,000 in scholarships to 61 qualified high school, undergraduate and graduate degree students.

ABOUT MEDSTAR MONTGOMERY MEDICAL CENTER

MedStar Montgomery Medical Center is a 117-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving the greater Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas. A proud member of MedStar Health, MedStar Montgomery is committed to delivering the latest in modern medicine and medical technology.