Meet 10 Amazing Young People Who Are Our Future

The Tony S. Davis Memorial Scholarship awards made each year change lives. They fuel hope, promise and opportunity for high school graduates living in HOC communities to pursue higher education and lay the foundation for a future of growth.

The scholarship program is a key element in Community Partners’ drive to accomplish the mission set forth in our Five-Year Strategic Plan: to empower HOC customers with low and moderate incomes to thrive by supporting programs that foster wellness, opportunity, economic mobility and personal growth. That is how we will realize our vision of a vibrant, equitable Montgomery County where families in affordable housing have the support they need to achieve their greatest aspirations.

This year’s Tony S. Davis Memorial Scholarship recipients are 10 of the most impressive young people you will ever meet. Members of the panel that evaluates scholarship applications said they “were blown away” by this year’s submissions. It’s easy to see why:

• Seven applicants earned a weighted grade point average (GPA) far above a considered “perfect” 4.0
• Two applicants actually secured a 4.9 GPA
• Two were captains of multiple varsity sports teams
• All of them accumulated far beyond the required minimum number of community service hours
• One particularly industrious student even registered her own patent

2025 Scholarship Awardees

This year’s scholarship recipients were eloquent and inspirational as they described the impact that a Tony S. Davis Memorial Scholarship award would have on their college plans and their future. Thank you to all who invest in the future by supporting Community Partners.

Leah 

Leah will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall, majoring in physics. Her career goal is to become a physicist.

How will the scholarship enable Leah? “In college, I intend to spend my Thanksgiving, winter, spring, and summer breaks conducting as much research as I can at different facilities around the country. This will require me to fund my stay in different states during these research internships.” 

Keira

This fall Keira will attend University of Maryland College Park with a major in biology. Her career goal is to become a cardiovascular surgeon.

How would the scholarship enable Keira? “Being raised by a single mother whose income is barely above minimum wage, I know I will need outside help to make the change that I want to see come to the world.  The opportunity of being awarded the Tony S. Davis Memorial Scholarship will allow me to pursue my dreams of becoming a surgeon without being limited by my financial situation.”

Aden

Aden plans to attend Catholic University of America and major in biology and chemistry. Her career goal is to become a dentist.

How would the scholarship enable Aden? “This scholarship will help me [have] a better chance of affording the tuition which would have a greater chance of getting further into my education… Being the first generation to go to college, I want to have a base where I’m financially stable enough instead of putting myself into thousands of dollars into debt just for a single year. So that is why this scholarship would be very valuable to me.”

Nigsti 

In the fall, she will attend George Washington University to study computer science, aiming to become a data researcher.

How would the scholarship enable Nigisti? “For as long as I can remember, my mom has carried the weight of our family on her back both literally and emotionally. She emigrated from Ethiopia and has worked tirelessly since …  The Tony S. Davis Memorial Scholarship would ease the financial burden she carries, allowing me to focus on my studies in data science and human interaction. It would also bring me closer to my dream. Using technology to drive social change like exposing racial disparities. The Tony S. Davis Memorial Scholarship would help me give back to the woman who gave me everything.”

Kyra

Kyra will attend George Mason University, majoring in Social Work.

How would the scholarship enable Kyra? “Receiving this scholarship would provide me with the opportunity to achieve my goals, particularly my mission to rebuild my community. This scholarship is the seed that could grow into a tree, offering shade and support to many children in need. What I receive will, in turn, be given back to uplift others. With this scholarship, I will have the financial support to pursue higher education in social work and make a lasting impact.”

Imani

Imani plans to attend Tuskegee University in the fall, with a major in Biology. Her career goal is to become a veterinarian.

How would the scholarship enable Imani?  “The Tony S. Davis Memorial Scholarship will help me because I have aspirations …  I know I’m capable of doing great things in life and I know that all the hard work I’ve put in over my seventeen years of living doesn’t just make me eligible to apply for scholarships but to deserve them. My tears, headaches, and burnouts will not be put to waste just because I’m unable to fund the aspirations I’ve had since I was in the first grade.”

Joy Dovy

He is enrolled at Ohio State University, majoring in aviation, with the goal of becoming a pilot.

How would the scholarship enable Joy Dovy? “As I flew a plane for the first time at 17,  I knew at that moment, it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  The Tony S. Davis Memorial Scholarship would help me fly into my childhood dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot. Receiving this [honor] would help my goal of changing the reality of my family as a first generation success story in the U.S.A… I’m seeking to eliminate the obstacle of finance that is standing between my career goals and myself.

Rae

In the fall, Rae will be studying at North Carolina State University, majoring in international politics.

How would the scholarship enable Rae? “Though my family is not abundantly wealthy, I am privileged in ways large sections of the population will never be, and I am disadvantaged in ways large sections of the population will never be. Despite this, my academic prowess has given me a sense of accomplishment, and it is truly reflective of my life’s work condensed into one transcript. Being allowed a scholarship would catalyze my rise to what I feel is my own definition of success.”

Joshua

Joshua plans to study biology at Loyola University and has a career goal of becoming a dentist.

How would the scholarship enable Joshua? “My family’s financial situation is not the best, as we have little money that constantly goes to our cars, rent, bills …  The money I would receive would severely lighten the financial burden that my college attendance would place on my parents and my family.”

Miguel

Miguel will attend Montgomery College in the fall majoring in computer science. His career goal is to work in cybersecurity.

How would the scholarship enable Miguel? “The Tony S. Davis Memorial Scholarship would be a tremendous help to me and my family. We come from a low-income background and my mother has always worked tirelessly to give us the best life possible. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial burden on her and allow me to focus fully on my education without adding to her stress.”