Rachel Carson Scholar Program

Launched in 2007 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Rachel Carson’s birth, the Rachel Carson Scholar Program is designed to raise awareness of and honor Rachel Carson’s work. Through her writings and work, Rachel Carson alerted the world to the dangers of chemical pesticides and launched our modern environmental movement.

2008 Rachel Carson Scholars

2008 Rachel Carson Scholars: Maryland	2008 Rachel Carson Scholars: Loudoun County Virginia
First Place Winner: *Olivia Smith* The Key School Annapolis, Maryland	First Place Winner: *Melissa Wright* Loudoun Valley High School Purcellville, Virginia
Second Place Winner: Katie Dell Liberty High School Eldersburg, Maryland	Second Place Winner: Emily Zatorski Loudoun County High School Leesburg, Virginia
Third Place Winner: Michael Chamberlain Poolesville High School Poolesville, Maryland	Third Place Winner: Christopher Potts Loudoun Valley High School Purcellville, Virginia
Other Rachel Carson Scholars: Cassie Conklin, Mountain Ridge HS Halley Epstein, Beth Tfiloh Katelyn Erickson, Mountain Ridge HS Joshua Gloster, Patuxent HS Sikandar Porter-Gill, Gaithersburg HS Hannah Sanford-Crane, Bohemia Manor Carol Yang, Eleanor Roosevelt HS Ping Yeh, Centennial HS	Other Rachel Carson Scholars: Jennifer Weatherly, Dominion HS

What Is a Rachel Carson Scholar?

The goal of the Rachel Carson Scholar Program is to recognize and honor students with a strong academic background who are taking active roles in environmental stewardship in their community. A Rachel Carson Scholar is one who:

Demonstrates interest in or knowledge of the natural world
Has taken an active role in community-based environmental stewardship activities
Has a strong academic record

NMF’s 2008 Rachel Carson Scholar Program is open to high school students of junior and senior standing from the state of Maryland and Loudoun County, Virginia who are concerned about the environment and want to engage in activities that will help to protect and improve their natural surroundings.

NMF encourages applicants whose interest in the environment is demonstrated in any discipline and who promote environmental issues through any vehicle, be it literary, scientific, and artistic, or any other mode.

For Students from the State of Maryland
All Rachel Carson Scholars will be honored at an awards ceremony on May 20, 2008 at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center in Millersville, Maryland. All students who qualify will be recognized as Rachel Carson Scholars and presented with a certificate. Monetary awards will be presented to the three students of highest standing. First place recipient will receive a $1,000 award. Second place recipient will receive a $750 award and third place recipient will receive a $500 award.

For Students from Loudoun County, Virginia
All Rachel Carson Scholars will be honored at an awards ceremony on May 15, 2008 at the Old Stone School in Hillsboro, Virginia. All students who qualify will be recognized as Rachel Carson Scholars and presented with a certificate. Monetary awards will be presented to the three students of highest standing. First place recipient will receive a $1,000 award. Second place recipient will receive a $500 award and third place recipient will receive a $250 award.

How to Apply

Download the Maryland application
Download the Maryland instructions
Download the Loudoun County Virginia application
Download the Loudoun County Virginia instructions

Applicants can submit their applications via email to: rcscholar@newtonmarascofoundation.org

Or mail or fax their hard copy application to the attention of Jenny Schmidt, Director of Programs at:

Newton Marasco Foundation
1760 Old Meadow Road
McLean, VA 22102

FAX (703) 448-5752

Applications for Maryland students must be postmarked by March 14, 2008 to be considered for the award.

Applications for Loudoun County, Virginia students must be postmarked by April 4, 2008 to be considered for the award.

2007 Scholars

First Place Winner

Jennifer Crick
Chesapeake City, Maryland
The Tome School (in North East, Maryland)

Jennifer has volunteered more than 1,000 hours — leading her school’s Environmental Club and helping create a new school recycling plan; planting trees, organizing river clean-ups and coordinating bird rescue donations as a Girl Scout; and volunteering at two historic, environmentally sensitive sites. She plans to become an environmental lawyer.

Second Place Winner

Dietrich Epp Schmidt
Hyattsville, Maryland
Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Greenbelt, Maryland)

Dietrich planted American lotus seeds along the Anacostia River and monitored their growth over 12 weeks for a wetlands restoration and research project with the Anacostia Watershed Society. He also served on the Youth Conservation Corps at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and organized local park clean-ups.

Third Place Winner

Wade Simmons
Forest Hill, Maryland
C. Milton Wright High School (Bel Air, Maryland)

Wade has served as a counselor to fifth-graders at an environmental education center and volunteered at a historic grist mill and park. He will spend the summer with the Student Conservation Association, working in Saguaro National Park.

Other Scholars

Melissa Duvall of Arnold, a senior at Broadneck Senior High School in Annapolis
Laura Betz of Monkton, a senior at North Harford High School in Pylesville
Stephanie DeHaven of Reisterstown, a senior at the Western School of Technology in Baltimore
Jennifer Shellem of Bel Air, a senior at Harford Christian School in Darlington