First Generation College Bound

2010 FGCB 5-K Race and 2-Mile Walk

jmurchison — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:52:00 +0000

The seventh annual FGCB 5K Race and 2-Mile Walk will take place in the beautiful Historic District of Laurel, Md., on Oct. 9, 2010 at 9 a.m. Save the date! An application form will be posted here soon.

2009 5K Race Results – All Runners

jmurchison — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:04:21 +0000

*Finish*	*Name*	*City*	*Sex, Age*	*Time*
1	Allen, Brian	Laurel, MD	M20	18:04.85
2	Sweet, Jay	Laurel, MD	M48	18:50.05
3	Saxton, Ross	White River Jct., VT	M22	19:17.06
4	Hackett, Jenna	University Park, MD	F22	20:54.57
5	Sacker, Katie	Catonsville, MD	F19	21:35.64
6	Clark, Marshalee	San Diego, CA	F30	22:06.79
7	Fisher, Joseph	Laurel, MD	M56	22:46.61
8	Dalgleish, Jamie	Upperco, MD	F18	23:30.78
9	Williams, Patrick	Silver Spring, MD	M49	23:41.77
10	Suermann, Ashley	Mahwah, NJ	F17	23:44.93
11	Maini, Gina	Washington, DC	F21	23:47.29
12	Eoraha, Keno	Laurel, MD	M18	23:52.70
13	Benkert, Jason T	Severn, MD	M29	24:06.24
14	Koch, Aubrey	Frederick, MD	F19	24:08.19
15	Eckberg, Keely	Holmdel, NJ	F18	24:13.28
16	Clark, Nathaniel A	Laurel, MD	M34	24:48.46
17	Smith, Bridgette	Cranbury, NJ	F22	24:50.83
18	Clark, Caitlin	Laurel, MD	F32	25:21.88
19	Selonick, Emily	Crownsville, MD	F22	25:38.49
20	Selonick, Martha	Crownsville, MD	F58	25:39.20
21	Speight, Mia	Randallstown, MD	F28	25:45.25
22	Heiliger, Phil	Columbia, MD	M56	25:48.93
23	DeGeorge, Mary	Laurel, MD	F46	25:51.98
24	Crawford, Kathryn	Hummelstown, PA	F18	26:04.49
25	Kirk-Davidoff, Paul	Columbia, MD	M13	26:15.03
26	Goulet, Greg	Ellicott City, MD	M50	26:16.73
27	Munro, Melissa	Silver Spring, MD	F26	26:17.52
28	Kim, Susan	Laurel, MD	F41	26:51.44
29	Knitowski, Dave	Laurel, MD	M53	27:31.89
30	Roberts, Nicole	Largo, MD	F36	27:34.03
31	Contreras, Paulo	Laurel, MD	M35	27:34.39
32	Rowley, Ginger A	Clarksville, MD	F48	27:35.62
33	Foulds, Lance	Laurel, MD	M36	27:48.27
34	White, Brian	Laurel, MD	M34	28:08.51
35	Flott, Andrew	Laurel, MD	M52	28:08.51
36	Knipp, Stan L	Laurel, MD	M61	28:13.67
37	Thaddaeus, Irby	Laurel, MD	M28	28:38.87
38	Ball, Remy	Newtown, CT	F21	29:01.74
39	Stokes, Greg	Laurel, MD	M32	29:09.30
40	McGowan, Christine	Maple Glen, PA	F19	29:10.68
41	Dalgleish, James	Upperco, MD	M48	29:14.98
42	Rowe, Jamel	Unknown, NA	M23	30:47.09
43	Sacker, Mary Jane	Catonsville, MD	F53	31:24.31
44	Smith, Michael	Laurel, MD	M48	31:42.84
45	Kramer, Beth	University Park, MD	F22	32:01.85
46	Davis, Deborah	Silver Spring, MD	F53	32:41.18
47	Leeks, Sharlisa	Laurel, MD	F32	32:51.66
48	Gregory, Angela	Hanover, MD	F28	33:06.60
49	Davis, Gregg	Silver Spring, MD	M47	33:19.57
50	Brierley, Neil	Ellicott City, MD	M52	33:25.05
51	Brandy, Benjamim	Alexandria, VA	M32	33:38.44
52	Carmen, Jr., Fred	Laurel, MD	M46	35:44.84
53	Reilly, Bob	Laurel, MD	M56	35:46.84
54	Matsuo, Daisuke	Columbia, MD	M30	36:01.42
55	Fisher, Pat	Laurel, MD	F61	36:30.75
56	Nelson, Harvey	Columbia, MD	M52	36:52.11
57	Kirk-Davidoff, Rosa	Columbia, MD	F10	37:08.86
58	Kirk-Davidoff, Daniel	Columbia, MD	M41	37:09.38
59	Washington, Francesca	Midlothian, VA	F30	39:33.69
60	Washington, Johnetta	Washington, DC	F30	39:33.86
61	Moran, Kerri E	Laurel, MD	F29	40:15.18
62	Hennes, Kathy L	Annapolis, MD	F57	43:37.33
63	Hazlett, Kathleen	Washington, DC	F26	43:37.54
64	Gignac, Frank	Washington, DC	M76	43:37.73
65	Barber, Roberta	Laurel, MD	F29	49:03.20
66	Heffner, LeVonne	Laurel, MD	F52	56:03.68

2009 5K Race Top Finishers

jmurchison — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:29:06 +0000

And they're off!

Below are listed top finishers in the 6th annual FGCB Riverfest 5K race on Oct. 10, 2009, including winners for each category. For complete race results, click here.

Name	Town	Age	Time	Place
Overall Male
1. Allen, Brian	Laurel, MD	20	18:04.85	1
2. Sweet, Jay	Laurel, MD	48	18:50.05	2
3. Saxton, Ross	White River Jct., VT	22	19:17.06	3
Overall Female
1. Hackett, Jenna	University Park, MD	22	20:54.57	4
2. Sacker, Katie	Catonsville, MD	19	21:35.64	5
3. Clark, Marshalee	San Diego, CA	30	22:06.79	6
Masters, Male
1. Fisher, Joseph	Laurel, MD	56	22:46.61	7
2. Williams, Patrick	Silver Spring, MD	49	23:41.77	9
3. Heiliger, Phil	Columbia, MD	56	25:48.93	22
Masters, Female
1. Selonick, Martha	Crownsville, MD	58	25:39.20	20
2. DeGeorge, Mary	Laurel, MD	46	25:51.98	23
3. Kim, Susan	Laurel, MD	41	26:51.44	28
1-13 Male
1. Kirk-Davidoff, Paul	Columbia, MD	13	26:15.03	25
1-13 Female
1. Kirk-Davidoff, Rosa	Columbia, MD	10	37:08.86	57
14-19 Male
1. Eoraha, Keno	Laurel, MD	18	23:52.70	12
14-19 Female
1. Dalgleish, Jamie	Upperco, MD	18	23:30.78	8
20-29 Male
1. Benkert, Jason	Severn, MD	29	24:06.24	13
20-29 Female
1. Maini, Gina	Washington, DC	21	23:47.29	11
30-39 Male
1. Clark, Nathaniel	Laurel, MD	34	24:48.46	16
30-39 Female
1. Clark, Caitlin	Laurel, MD	32	25:21.88	18
40-49 Male
1. Dalgleish, James	Upperco, MD	48	29:14.98	41
40-49 Female
1. Rowley, Ginger	Clarksville, MD	48	27:35.62	32
50-59 Male
1. Goulet, Greg	Ellicott City, MD	50	26:16.73	26
50-59 Female
1. Sacker, Mary Jane	Catonsville, MD	53	31:24.31	43
60 and Over Male
1. Knipp, Stan	Laurel, MD	61	28:13.67	36
60 and Over Female
1. Fisher, Pat	Laurel, MD	61	36:30.75	55

Overall winner Brian Allen, 20, of Laurel approaches the finish. His time was 18:04.85.

Women's winner Jenna Hackett is congratulated by First Generation CEO Joe Fisher, right, and C. Michael Walls, race chairman.

At center, Father Frank Gignac, 76, Catholic University religion professor, has run in all six FGCB 5K races.

From left, FGCB alumni Tiwana Smith and Loretta Thompson, FGCB CEO Joe Fisher, Revere Bank CEO Andrew Flott and alumna Bridget Akintunde.

Joe Fisher and the FGCB staff: Lamont Stanfield, Jazmin Lockett, Raymond Harrod and Anastasia Stewart.

Current Message

admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:50:11 +0000

Is your child serious about college? Many kids tell their parents they’re going to college, but are they really taking the steps to get there? And are they putting themselves in a position to earn scholarship money to pay for it?

Most first-generation college applicants don’t have money saved up to go to college. If the students do well academically, that really helps. There are colleges across the country that offer merit-based scholarships to students earning at least a 3.0 grade-point average and an SAT test score of 1,000 or higher. Many students think an athletic scholarship is their best shot at getting money for college. This is a misconception. Many more students get accepted to college and receive scholarships because of their grades than because of their accomplishments in sports.

As for the SAT, to score well on this test – which most four-year colleges require for admission – students need to take the PSAT (a practice test for the SAT) in their 9^th-grade year and should begin taking the SAT their 10^th-grade year. However, many first-generation students wait until their senior year to take the SAT due to a fear of being unprepared or because they don’t make it a priority.

Waiting till senior year is a big mistake. If the students get a low score, they may have no time left to take the SAT again and improve. Also, they may lose confidence and begin to think they’re not college ready.

When students take the SAT in their 10^th-grade year, they may get a low score. But chances are, as they develop more familiarity with the test, the students will improve their scores significantly in their junior and senior years.

One of our FGCB participants earned a 2.5 GPA his 10^th-grade year and got a 840 on his SAT. There are colleges that would accept him with that record. But the great thing is that he now has two more years to improve both his grades and his SAT, so that he can win an academic scholarship and have more college admission options.

It is important to note that the SAT does reflect the student’s academic profile, especially in math and reading. The score reflects the level of math the student has taken – I recommend that students take algebra 2/trigonometry or higher – and whether the student is an avid reader or writer. A website of the University System of Maryland, www.Way2GoMaryland.org, provides good overall information about the type of courses your child should take in high school.

Parents, you can help your children get serious about college. Encourage them to strive for a B average or better. Research with your children the deadlines to register for the SAT, and help them sign up starting in the spring of their 10^th-grade year. You can find the deadlines online at the College Board website, www.collegeboard.com.

Finally, give your child a reality check. Have your child write a letter to the admissions office of one or more colleges. Because of cost, include one or more state colleges when requesting the schools’ admissions requirements. Or have the child find the requirements on the colleges’ websites. This will reinforce your conversations about college and your child’s attitude about attending college.

Parents, it is important that you stay involved and informed on the college-bound process. Getting into college needs to be a partnership between you and your child. In my next message, I will provide information concerning financial aid.

Joseph Fisher

Joseph Fisher, CEO & Founder

Annual Celebration

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:37:18 +0000

Jade Brooks of Parkdale High School was among 80 college-bound students celebrated at FGCB's 20th Annual Celebration on June 16, 2010 at the University of Maryland.

First Generation College Bound celebrated two decades of helping young people to attend college at its 20^th Annual Celebration on June 16, 2010 at The Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center at the University of Maryland College Park.

Four hundred people attended the Celebration, including 31 college-bound high school graduates and 11 FGCB alumni who had just graduated from college or completed graduate degrees.

The guest speaker was Leon Harris, award-winning news anchor for ABC7/WJLA-TV. Harris came to Washington after 20 years at CNN’s Atlanta headquarters, where he co-anchored “CNN Live Today” and “Prime News,” and hosted “CNN Presents” and “American Stories.”

Harris has covered a wide variety of stories including the September 11th terror strikes, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Asian tsunami of 2004, the explosion and crash of TWA Flight 800 and the Los Angeles riots. He has interviewed presidential candidates, and reported live from both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

Harris’ work has earned him multiple CableAce awards for Best Newscaster, and national Emmy Awards for coverage of the September 11th terror strikes, the Oklahoma City bombing and the 2000 presidential election. He was honored, too, with a National Headliner Award and more recently with a National Capital Area Emmy Award for Best Anchor.

A cum laude and honorary doctorate recipient from Ohio University, Leon Harris is passionate about improving the lives of children and serves on numerous charitable boards including those of For the Love of Children, Junior Achievement of the National Capital Area, and MenzFit.

Sponsors
The following generous donors sponsored the 20^th Annual Celebration:
Doctoral Graduate Level
Academy Ford (Tom Lynch Sr.)
Prince George’s County Council Chairman Tom Dernoga
Jerome Fisher
Pat Fisher
Kenneth Garrison
Mayor and City Council of Laurel
Metropolitan Dev & Construction (Frank Davis)
Pam Rockland
Revere Bank
Security Vault Works (Timothy Abell)
Leon N. Weiner & Associates, Inc. (Brent Lazar)
Master’s Graduate Level
Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel (Doris Reed)
Bormel, Grice, & Huyett, P.A.
Prince George’s County Council member Samuel Dean
Johnathan and Deborah Fisher
Walter and Margaret Flamer
Ronald Giles
Christine Hanson
Mark Johnson & Associates
John Kopolow
Prince George’s County Council member Eric Olson
Sen. Jim Rosapepe and Dels. Ben Barnes, Barbara Frush and Joseline Peña-Melnyk
Cynthia Whitlow
Bachelor’s Graduate Level
Constance Mercer
Associate’s Graduate Level
Mr. and Mrs. Eddie T. Britt
Helen Crutchfield
John and Gloria Harris
J. Donald Henyon
Michael Leszcz
Bill King
Certificate Graduate Level
Leslie and John Brinton
Eye of the Needle Embroidery (Elaine and Steve Wallis)
Chonya Johnson
Bryan Smith
Summit Financial Resources Inc. (Paul Mascia)
Haleema Treadwell
Scholar Level
Anne Baird
Carolyn A. Carter
Elaine Morse
Fran and Norm Saunders

High school and college graduates of 2010 gather around ABC7/WJLA-TV news anchor Leon Harris, Annual Celebration keynote speaker.

Annual Celebration Tradition

Each June, FGCB holds a similar Annual Celebration to honor its high school graduates about to enter college and its former FGCB participants who have just earned a bachelor’s or graduate degree from a college or university. This highlight of the year has featured such speakers and emcees as former University of Maryland basketball star Len Elmore, Prince George’s State’s Attorneys Alexander Williams and Glenn Ivey, nationally prominent defense attorney Willie Gary and actor Tico Wells, as well as FGCB alumni.

2009 Celebration

Bridget Akintunde was the 19th Annual Celebration guest speaker.

On June 17, 2009, First Generation College Bound recognized nearly 100 high school and 15 college graduates at the 19th Annual Celebration. FGCB alumnus Alonzo Washington was the emcee. Alonzo graduated from University of Maryland College Park in 2007 and is now a community liaison for Prince George’s County Council member Will Campos. FGCB alumna Bridget Akintunde, who has just earned her master’s degree in healthcare administration at University of Maryland University College, was the guest speaker. To read her address, click here.