Maryland Commission for Women supports achievement through recognition
BALTIMORE, MD (June 22, 2012) – Today, the Maryland Commission for Women (MCW) hosted — its fifteenth annual Women of Tomorrow recognition ceremony at the Loews Hotel — in Annapolis. The Maryland Commission for Women (MCW) promotes and supports accomplished young ladies as emerging leaders through the Women of Tomorrow ceremony. Since 1997, this award has been given to young women enrolled in either middle school or high school who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to community service and academic excellence.
“These remarkable young ladies represent the best and the brightest of our state,” said Ted Dallas, secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Resources. “In a world that, too often, continues to tell women to take a back seat to men, these young ladies have shown determination to forge their individual paths.”
This year’s honorees were selected through a process that began with an annual statewide call for nominations. An independent, all-volunteer selection committee reviewed the applications and selected seven young women representing grades seven through twelve.
The 2012 honorees are:
Mackenzie Chapman — Honoree 7th-8th Grade Category, Charles County
Mackenzie Chapman is an eighth grade student at Piccowaxen Middle School in Charles County Maryland. She maintains a 4.0 GPA while enrolled in the Scholars Course of Studies and was awarded the Dr. Ben Carson Scholarship in April of 2012. Mackenzie’s work with children facing intellectual and physical challenges has her planning to pursue an education in Occupational Therapy or Special Education in hopes of continuing to improve the lives of children with special needs.
Mackenzie Peperak — Honorable Mention 7th-8th Grade Category, Washington County
Mackenzie Peperak lives in Washington County and is currently an eighth grader at Boonsboro Middle School. She participates in all honor level courses, maintains a 4.0 grade point average, and will enter ninth grade having already earned four high school credits in Math and Foreign Language. Mackenzie is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, where she serves as secretary. As a member of this group, she participates in numerous community service projects including the Antietam National Battlefield illumination and environmental workshops for Greenfest.
Claudia Alarco — Honoree 9th-10th Grade Category, Montgomery County
Claudia Alarco is a tenth grader at James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Montgomery County. In her first encounter with community service at the age of four, Claudia wanted to donate all her new toys to children in a local orphanage. Seeing joyous and thankful faces made her happy and from that moment on, she knew she wanted to someday make a bigger change. Claudia strongly believes in the importance and vitality of community service. Claudia believes that “if one is contributing to the happiness and stability of others, one has a purpose in life.”
Sabrina Donnick — Honorable Mention 9th -10th Grader Category, Baltimore City
Sabrina Donnick is a sophomore at City Neighbors High School in Baltimore City. As a young child, she constantly tried to help others. She has maintained over a 4.0 GPA since high school and started attending college classes at BCCC (Baltimore City Community College.) During her time at City Neighbors High School, she has participated in the school’s first ever girls’ basketball team and volleyball team. She has been a student representative Baltimore City School Board since her freshman year at City Neighbors.
Christina McIntyre — Honoree 11th – 12th Grade Category, Harford County
Christina McIntyre is a senior at Bel Air High School in Harford County. She is a compassionate young woman who is committed to serving and empowering others. Christina excels academically and is ranked in the top 1% of her class. She is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, National Honor Society, and Tri-M Music Honor Society. President Obama awarded Christina the President’s Volunteer Service Award this year. She is a Maryland State Scholar and was given the Outstanding Youth Leadership Award by the Maryland Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation. She has also received the Leadership for Service Award and been recognized locally with the Town of Bel Air Student Achievement Award.
Emily Peterson — Honorable Mention – 11th – 12th Grade Category, Howard County
Emily, a rising senior at Atholton High School in Howard County, is an active member in her school, church and community. Having participated in Girl Scouts for 11 years, Emily has been awarded all three levels of scouting achievement – the Bronze Award, the Silver Award and most recently the Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouts. For her Gold Award, she created a library at The Samaritan Women (Catonsville, MD), an organization that provides a residential environment for individual women who are ready to make positive changes in their lives. Emily serves on the fundraising committee of the Young Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County (YWGC), an organization whose mission is to create a permanent legacy that addresses the needs of women and girls in Howard County. Currently this group of young philanthropists is raising funds to support the Domestic Violence Center.
Luz Camargo — Honorable Mention 11th – 12th Grade Category, Frederick County
Luz Angela Camargo is a senior at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick County. This is also her last year at the Career and Technology Center in the Biomedical Science Program. She is involved in the National Honor Society, the student government association, and the National Technical Honor Society at the Career and Technology Center. She has volunteered at the Frederick Memorial Hospital, at St. Johns Catholic Church and has participated in various activities through the National Honor Society TJ chapter. Luz enjoy s giving back to the community, and intends on doing some volunteer work through the organization at Stevenson University.
The Maryland Commission for Women was established by the Maryland Legislature in 1971 to promote the social, political and economic equality of Maryland women. The commission, located within the Maryland Department of Human Resources, advises government officials, advances solutions, and serves as a statewide resource to expand social, political and economic opportunities for all women.
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