Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT), a coalition of corporations, government agencies and community partners dedicated to mobilizing business and employers to play an active role in supporting education excellence, has hired Salisbury resident Adel Boyd to carry out Next Generation Scholars, an initiative established by the Maryland General Assembly (House Bill 1403), in Wicomico Middle and High Schools.
Since October, Boyd has been working directly with school leadership and guidance counselors to raise awareness about Next Generation Scholars and the qualifications students must meet in order to remain eligible to receive the Howard P. Rawlings Maryland Guaranteed Access Grant, administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). The Guaranteed Access Grant provides an award that will help cover the cost of full-time study at a Maryland college or university for low-income families.
“Our goal at Wicomico High School is to ensure every student’s success, and thanks to Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, Adel will help our students realize their academic and professional goals,” said Billy Witte, dean of students at Wicomico High School. “We are pleased to have an extra voice in school who is able to give our students more knowledge to be prepared for college and beyond.”
In September, the Maryland State Department of Education awarded three local districts totaling $953,000 to MBRT, part of the state’s $4.7 million state grant program, to help enhance college and career awareness and college completion for low-income high school students. In addition to Wicomico County, MBRT is also implementing Next Generation Scholars in Allegany and Caroline Counties.
Coordinating with guidance counselors, teachers and school leadership, Boyd mentors and meets one-on-one with students and also conducts classroom presentations for 7th, 8th and 9th graders to mentor them and assess their college and career aspirations. Some of those presentations feature guest speakers from the Maryland Scholars Speakers Bureau and STEM Specialists in the Classroom programs. She also holds parent and community events to ensure all those involved with students’ education are aware of the grant and understand how they can support their scholars to achieve success.
Boyd is a certified school counselor specializing in at-risk students from elementary to high school. Prior to joining MBRT, she served students as a long-term counselor substitute in Delmar, North Laurel and Northwestern Elementary Schools; Bennett Middle School; and Wicomico High School. Boyd earned her MSEd in School Counseling from Wilmington University and a BA in Human Communications from Salisbury University. Boyd is also a Certified Nursing Assistant and holds a Pharmacy Technician License.
“I truly believe every student can have a successful future, and that starts with early preparation for college and high school completion,” says Boyd. “I’m excited to see students’ engagement increase after I meet with them. I know I’m helping make a positive impact on our future, beginning with each student I encounter.”
For more information about the Next Generation Scholars Program, visit www.mbrt.org/nextgen.
About Maryland Business Roundtable
Founded in 1992, the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) is a coalition of leading employers that have made a long-term commitment to support education reform and improve student achievement in Maryland. MBRT is the catalyst for business, government and education to drive high student achievement that ensures a competitive future workforce for a world-class economy. For more information, please visit http://www.mbrt.org/.
