MCABW Awards Scholarships To 12 Women Pursuing College

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX — The Montgomery County Association of Business Women announced Tuesday it recently honored 12 high school seniors through its 12th annual MCABW Foundation scholarship program, giving awards to girls from eight Montgomery County high schools.

The 12 recipients were chosen from a pool of 62 applicants for their academic achievement and community involvement and will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to further their education.

Here are the 2021 MCABW Foundation scholarship recipients, followed by their high school and their prospective colleges:

• Shivani Damu, The Woodlands High School, University of Texas
• Sydney Dwyer, Grand Oaks High School, University of Texas
• Paige Holmes, The Woodlands High School, University of Houston
• Michaela Paris Hynds, Infinity Early College High School, Lamar University
• Berenice Lopez, Caney Creek High School, Texas A&M University
• Kailey Null, Conroe High School, Texas Women’s University
• Carla Reyes Ortiz, College Park High School, Texas A&M University
• Akshara Ramasamy, College Park High School, University of Texas
• Damaris Sanchez, College Park High School, Sam Houston State University
• Paulina Sanchez, Caney Creek High School, Lone Star College-Montgomery
• Eliszabeth Van, College Park High School, Texas Tech University
• Madyson Vaughn, Willis High School, Texas A&M University

In addition to the application, prospective recipients had to answer two essay questions and submit two letters of recommendation.

Carol Gooch, who founded MCABW in 2005, emphasized the importance of helping women reach their full potential and become financially independent.

“As a former school teacher and school counselor, education is very important to me, and it gives me great pleasure to MCABW award scholarships to young ladies who want to further their education,” Gooch said in a news release. “As a mental health therapist, I saw many women involved in domestic violence. It became apparent to me that women need to be able to provide for themselves.”

MCABW is a forum for Montgomery County businesswomen to serve the community and help grow their businesses. The organization hosts networking events and maintains a mentorship program between members.

For more information on MCABW, visit its website or email carol.gooch@mcabw.org.