TOWSON, MD–Samantha Warfel, a graduating senior at Hereford High School, has been named Baltimore County’s Young Woman of the Year by the Baltimore County Commission for Women.

Annually, the commission selects a “Woman of the Year,” “Young Woman of the Year,” and “Woman Making a Difference.” Warfel and the other two award recipients will be honored at a ceremony on Thursday, June 22.

“Samantha Warfel exemplifies the strength of student leadership in Baltimore County Public Schools, and I am thrilled that she will be honored as this year’s Baltimore County Young Woman of the Year,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “Her academic, advocacy, and community service accomplishments are truly impressive, but even more striking are Samantha’s character, her genuine caring for others, and her commitment to empowering others.”

Throughout her high school career, Warfel has been involved in various service and leadership initiatives. From 2020-2023, she has served as president of the Baltimore County Student Councils while also serving on the Maryland Association of Student Councils Executive Board as a communications director and student workshop coordinator.

At Hereford High School, Warfel served as a United Nations Girl Up organization club leader, Allied Sports bocce manager, new student tour guide, and peer tutor in various subject areas. She also has earned the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy for Spanish.

In her broader community, Warfel has served as a youth diplomat with the World Trade Center Institute and an intern at the Women’s Housing Coalition of Baltimore. In 2020, she was awarded the Outstanding Student Leader of the Year Award for Baltimore County by the Maryland Association of Student Councils, and this year, she received an Optimist International Youth Citation for service to her community. In 2022, Warfel served as a research and course design intern at the University of Maryland International Studies Scholars Program, and she is a published researcher in the International Journal of Student Research.

In the fall, Warfel will attend Yale University to study global affairs on a pre-law track.