Baltimore City seniors receive full-tuition McDaniel College scholarships through a long-running CollegeBound partnership program
Surprise scholarship announcements across five Baltimore City high schools
Five Baltimore City public high school seniors were surprised on April 12, 2024, with scholarships covering full tuition for four years at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. The awards were announced during in-person visits at the students’ schools and were presented as part of the incoming Class of 2028.
The scholarships were described as full-tuition awards valued at approximately $200,000 per student over four years. The recipients attend Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Western High School, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, REACH! Partnership School, and Frederick Douglass High School.
Who received the scholarships
- Jadon Thomas, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
- Esther Zuniga-Cuellar, Western High School
- Chansanique Sinkler, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School
- Deric Dowd, REACH! Partnership School
- Breyon Childs, Frederick Douglass High School
School profiles released alongside the announcements describe a range of academic and extracurricular involvement among the recipients, including interests in coding, robotics, environmental issues, community leadership, and student organizations.
How the program works and what it covers
The awards are full-tuition scholarships, meaning they are designed to cover the cost of tuition for four years of undergraduate study at McDaniel College. They do not automatically indicate coverage of additional expenses such as housing, meals, fees, books, or transportation, which commonly factor into the total cost of attendance at four-year colleges.
The scholarship selection process includes interviews conducted annually by McDaniel’s Admissions Office with students from Baltimore City public high schools staffed by CollegeBound advisors. The initiative has operated as a partnership since 2008, focusing on Baltimore City students preparing for four-year college enrollment.
Local significance and broader context
For Baltimore City families, full-tuition offers can materially affect college options by reducing reliance on loans for the tuition component of undergraduate costs. In practical terms, the awards can shift decision-making toward academic fit and campus support services, while leaving remaining cost-of-attendance elements to be addressed through additional aid, scholarships, family contributions, or other resources.
The surprise format of the announcements has been a consistent feature of the program, with visits conducted at the recipients’ schools and attended by school and partner representatives.
McDaniel College is a private institution founded in 1867 and located in Westminster, roughly within commuting distance of Baltimore. The scholarship program adds to a wider ecosystem of local advising and financial-aid efforts intended to expand four-year college access for Baltimore City public school graduates.