Pikesville Student Named Alexander Hamilton Scholar

From Baltimore County Public Schools: Abegya (“Abby”) Berhanu, a junior at Pikesville High School, has been selected as one of only 34 recipients of a 2018 Alexander Hamilton Scholars Award.

More than 400 high school juniors from across the nation applied for this prestigious honor. Each year, Alexander Hamilton Scholars selects up to 40 high school juniors to join its program. The students are selected based on financial need, demonstrated academic excellence, commitment to service, and leadership potential. As scholars, they engage in a 5-year program designed to support their success in college and careers.

In a letter to Pikesville High Principal Sandra Reid, Amelia Moore, program director of Alexander Hamilton Scholars wrote, “The AHS organization was founded on the Hamiltonian principle of leadership through service, and Abegya’s actions exemplify this legacy. We are extremely happy to have such a wonderful student from your school win this award. It is a reflection of both Abegya’s hard work and the high standards you have set at your school.”

In 2016, Abby Berhanu’s sister, Tinbit Berhanu, then a junior at Pikesville High, was selected for this honor. She is now a freshman at University of Maryland. Reid described the Berhanus as “a powerful family with a tremendous legacy.”

As a Hamilton Scholar, for the next five years, Abby Berhanu will participate in conference calls and receive coaching support throughout the school year, and each summer, she will attend a weeklong national leadership institute and be eligible to apply for paid internships.

The program has seen 100% of its scholars be accepted into academically selective colleges, and 98% of them graduate from collegein 5 years or less. In recent years, Alexander Hamilton Scholars has had seven Gates Millennium Scholars, 15 Coca-Cola Scholars, and 24 QuestBridge Finalists.

Image courtesy of Baltimore County Public Schools