Four 2024-2025 Equity in Education Scholarship recipients were honored June 12, 2024 during a community and school celebration. A privately funded partnership between the Hagerstown Area Religious Council (HARC) and Washington County Public Schools (WCPS), the fund has awarded $45,000 in scholarships since 2022.
Pictured in the photo: Dr. David Sovine, WCPS superintendent with this year’s recipients Janeice Bates, Carmen Diaz, Hakema Mutanu, and Precious Steel, along with Allison Smith, Supervisor of Equity and Excellence for WCPS, and Kathy Powderly, Executive Director of HARC. Also in attendance were several members of the HARC board – Rev. Christopher Serufusa, Rev. Les McIntosh, and Rev. Dionne Hall; Carol Mowen, president of the Washington County Teachers Association, and other members of the Equity in Education Scholarship team: Tim Haines with WCPS, Jessica Scott, and E.J. Fuller.
Janeice Bates is enrolled at Hagerstown Community College (HCC) in Early Childhood Education and was recently hired as a substitute teacher for Washington County Public Schools (WCPS); Carmen Diaz works in the WCPS International Welcome Center and is enrolled at HCC with a goal of becoming an English Language Teacher; Hakema Mutanu is currently enrolled at Shepherd University for a Masters of Arts in Teaching Art and works as a paraprofessional for WCPS; Precious Steel is enrolled with Frostburg at USMH for early childhood/elementary education, while she works as a paraprofessional at WCPS.
We congratulate all four future educators, who impressed the scholarship team with their commitment and passion to serve children in Washington County.
The Equity in Education scholarship fund is a partnership between The Hagerstown Area Religious Council and Washington County Public Schools. Multiple scholarships are awarded annually ranging from $1,500 to $7,000 to racially minoritized students who reside and/or teach in Washington County, Maryland, and are pursuing a degree in education or a related field. Learn more at here.
Funding for the scholarships has been provided by The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, Soroptimist International of Hagerstown, and many individual donors. Donations are needed for the 2025 awards and for building an endowment to fund the scholarship in perpetuity. Donations can be made here.
