BALTIMORE ( JULY 1, 2011) – The Maryland Commission for Women (MCW) hosted its fourteenth annual Women of Tomorrow recognition ceremony on June 30, 2011 at the Maryland Yacht Club Clubhouse in Anne Arundel county. The award, established in 1997, identifies young women in middle school and high school who have set sail into their future by demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to community service and academic excellence.
The honorees were selected through a process that begins with an annual statewide call for nominations. An independent, all-volunteer selection committee reviews the applications and normally selects six young women, two per grade grouping from sixth through twelfth grades. However, this year eight young women will be honored.
“This annual event highlights young women who are making significant and remarkable contributions to their communities,” said Theodore Dallas, secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Resources. “These young ladies are truly our future leaders.”
The Maryland Commission for Women, established by the Maryland Legislature in 1971, promotes the social, political, and economic equality of Maryland women. It advises government, advances solutions, and serves as a statewide resource to expand social, political, and economic opportunities for all women.
The 2011 Women of Tomorrow Award honorees include:
Grade 12: First Place – Carson Wigley, Worcester Preparatory School
Carson Wigley
Carson Wigley resides in Salisbury, Maryland and is a senior at Worcester Preparatory School in Berlin, where she is a member of the Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, and National Spanish Honor Society. She maintains a 97.0 grade point average and was the recipient of the Best All-Round Student Award in grade 11. In eleventh grade, Carson received the Congressional Award Gold Medal, the highest honor awarded by Congress to youth for outstanding initiative, service, and achievement. In addition, she has received the President’s Volunteer Gold Service Award. She was selected from a field of 3,500 nominated candidates to be one of 23 national recipients of the Nestle Very Best in Youth Award. This award recognizes contributions to community service as well as academic achievements.
In her junior year, Carson was the First Place Winner for the State of Maryland in the National Letters about Literature competition, sponsored by the Center of the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target. She was the Soroptimist International Violet Richardson Award winner for both Salisbury, Maryland, and the South Atlantic State Region.
Carson is an active member of Worcester Preparatory School where she has been Class Vice President since her sophomore year, serves on the Honor Code Committee, and is the Senior Editor of the yearbook. She has been a member of both the Chorus and Chamber Ensemble for all four years of high school. On the athletic field, Carson is a member of the Varsity Soccer team and Varsity Tennis team.
Carson will be attending Wake Forest University where she was accepted as an early decision candidate. She hopes to major in Health and Exercise Science and then go to graduate school to obtain a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree.
