TOWSON, MD—One Grade 11 student from each Baltimore County public high school has been selected to participate in the 2020 cohort of the Outstanding Young Women Leaders Program, a new initiative of the Towson University Women’s Leadership Collective. The Collective was conceived by Dr. Nancy Grasmick, the Presidential Scholar and Women’s Leadership Ambassador at Towson University.  It builds on the success of the TU Professional Leadership Program for Women, which has helped over 100 women advance their careers since 2015.

The selected BCPS students are:

• Rameen Aamir, Woodlawn High
• Amira Bailey, New Town High
• Eliya Behailu, Parkville High
• Karli Custer, Lansdowne High
• Humera Fatima, Franklin High
• Adria Fialkowski, Sollers Point Technical High
• Lesly Guevara, Chesapeake High
• Macie Hakim, Towson High
• Georgia Hammond, Hereford High
• Carina Hernandez-Soto, Randallstown High
• T’ana Elliana Ashley Joseph, Western School of Technology
• Chahat Kumari, Dundalk High
• Carmelli Leal, Eastern Technical High
• Hazel Montgomery-Walsh, Catonsville High
• Tyjia N. Nance, Pikesville High
• Nasreen Naqvi, George Washington Carver Center
• Surena Ortega, Milford Mill Academy
• Michelle Ramirez, Overlea High
• Carmen Roy, Dulaney High
• Bianca Skipper, Patapsco High
• Karalyn Varricchio, Perry Hall High
• Sophia Wilson, Sparrows Point High
• Caroline Woodring, Kenwood High
• Anabel Yeboah, Owings Mills High
• Anni Zhang, Loch Raven High

The students will be engaged in academic and career activities approximately every six weeks throughout the calendar year. The first activity, a welcoming retreat, will be held on Towson University’s campus on Friday, Jan. 24. The students will participate in workshops from 2 – 5 p.m., followed by dinner on campus with Towson University President Dr. Kim Schatzel, and attendance at the Towson Tigers’ women’s basketball game against Northeastern University at 7 p.m. During the welcoming retreat, students will hear from Dr. Elizabeth Berquist, director of professional learning, BCPS; Kim Fabian, senior vice president, Junior Achievement of Central Maryland; Dr. Grasmick; Kristi Halford, founder/chief support officer, c3 Visionary Strategies; Pat Isaac, CEO, Capital Services; Dr. Keiwana Perryman, assistant director of leadership/student activities, Towson University; Diane Richardson, coach, women’s basketball, Towson University; Sharon Markley Schreiber, COO, Alliance of Greater Baltimore; and Kim Williams, youth outreach coordinator, First Financial Federal Credit Union.

Throughout the year, the participants in the Outstanding Young Women Leaders Program will interact with a variety of Towson University administrators, faculty, and students. Each participant will be matched with a successful professional woman who will serve as coach and counselor during the program cycle.

The selection process for the Outstanding Young Women Leaders Program began with each BCPS high school principal nominating up to three candidates who met academic, leadership, and community service requirements. The Towson University Women’s Leadership Collective selected a finalist from each school after reviewing their applications, recommendations, and transcripts and conducting interviews.