County Teachers Win Golden Apple Awards

Golden Apple Awards Reception Held June 22

Freedom Federal Credit Union President and CEO, Mike MacPherson, with 2018 Golden Apple Annual Education Awards recipients — **Freedom Federal Credit Union President and CEO, Mike MacPherson, with 2018 Golden Apple Annual Education Award recipients. (L to R): Jacob Bennett, Kathleen Ford, and Tara Recor**

Freedom hosted a reception at the Credit Union’s Park Avenue branch to celebrate this year’s Golden Apple Awards winners. Kathleen Ford, a music teacher at the John Archer School won this year’s grand prize. Ms. Ford received the $2,000 prize for her plan to better connect students with disabilities through music and song. One of Ms. Ford’s goals is to purchase a complete set of Music K-8 magazines and CDs. Her entry also calls for adapted instruments, assistive devices and software. These items will better enable students with severe physical challenges to produce music independently.

Although we received a record number of submissions this year, Ms. Ford’s thoughtfulness and creativity in considering how the award could affect positive change for her students, school, and community made her application standout.

Additionally, two runners-up were selected: Jacob Bennett, Kindergarten Teacher at Havre de Grace Elementary, and Tara Recor, Gifted &Talented Resource Teacher at Prospect Mill and Halls Cross Roads Elementary schools. Both Mr. Bennett and Ms. Recor will receive $500 each to fund initiatives at their respective schools.

The Golden Apple Educator Award benefits Freedom members who work for HCPS and have a creative vision for education that can only be met with community support. Contest applicants must submit an essay demonstrating how their idea would serve their students, class, school and the Harford County community. A panel of Freedom employees, board members, and community leaders judges each year’s entries.

Chamber of Commerce Foundation Scholarships

Scholarships Available to Harford County Residents

Each year the Harford County Chamber of Commerce Foundation awards scholarships to local residents. Scholarships are available to recent Harford County high school graduates and adults who want to attend college. In 2017 the Chamber gave 10 scholarships to adults, veterans and high school seniors.

Chamber scholarships fund a wide range of studies. High school seniors may received funding from the following scholarship types:

Arts, Media and Communication
Business, Finance and Information Technology
Health and Human Services
Service, Engineering and Technology
Technology/Trade
Chuck Boyle Business Scholarship
William B. Seccurro Teacher Education

Scholarships available to adults include a veterans scholarship, a Technology/Trade scholarship, and a general scholarship.

To download this year’s Scholarship application go to: http://www.harfordchamber.org/resources/scholarships/

Freedom Awards College Scholarship

STEM Scholarship Presented June 9

Freedom scholarship winner — Harford County Chamber of Commerce scholarship winner Kassidy Kollmann (L), is shown accepting her award from Mike MacPherson, Freedom President and CEO (R)

Freedom awarded a $1,000 scholarship in the area of science, technology, engineering and math to Kassidy Kollmann on June 9, as part of a Harford County Chamber of Commerce program, hosted at Harford Community College.

Ms. Kollmann is a graduate of C. Milton Wright High School, and is attending the University of Maryland at Baltimore County this fall where she plans to acquire a degree in Physics, and then to have a career in Astrophysics. She was very active in high school as a member of the National Mathematics Honor Society, French National Honor Society, Student Government Association, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Class Councils, Best Buddies, and French Club. She has volunteered at numerous organizations, including Brightview Assisted Living. She participated on the varsity swim team, junior varsity and varsity field hockey team, as well as varsity track and field team. Once Kassidy’s graduate studies are complete, she plans to use her knowledge to obtain a job at a government facility, such as NASA.

Ms. Kollmann was one of ten recipients awarded scholarships through the Education Committee of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce. Sharon Mellor, Freedom’s Human Resources Manager, serves on the committee.