Background
In July 1997, Joe Machin suffered a fatal heart attack. Although
Joe was just 26 years old, he had accomplished much during his life; he
was an environmental engineer and a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University;
a dearly loved son, brother, uncle, and fiancé; and a trusted friend
to many. After his funeral, a number of his friends decided to honor
his memory by awarding a scholarship in his name. To this end, the
Joseph E. Machin IV Memorial Scholarship Fund was formed. The Fund
annually awards one-time scholarships to outstanding students
of Hereford High School, from which Joe graduated in 1989, at the school's
awards ceremony each May. Preference is given to applicants who
plan to attend Joe's other alma matter, St. Mary's College of Maryland
(Class of 1994), and students that evidence a strong interest in environmental
science.
Two characteristics marked Joe's personality and educational experiences.
The first was consistent hard work; he never quit in his efforts to meet
difficult self-imposed goals. At college, Joe majored in physics
and mathematics, and often had to teach himself extra material when his
physics classes required mathematical tools to which he hadn't yet been
exposed in the mathematics tract. After graduation, Joe would typically
work a long week, including graduate school at night, but still always
had time to help his grandmother on Sundays. The other second characteristic
was his ability to accept others on their own terms. Joe had many,
many friends, and these included people from all sorts of circles.
Everyone knew Joe and thought he was a good guy -- he was open-minded,
honest, and trustworthy. And also capable of having a hell of a good
time.
Hereford students interested in applying for an award should do so via
the Community Scholarships application furnished by the Guidance Department
(the deadline is typically in December or January). Applicants should
be aware that the Fund is more than a simple source of educational funding;
those involved in growing and administering the Fund fully expect that
award recipients will endeavor to learn about Joe and aspire to his example.
In this fashion, the Fund both honors Joe and helps young people achieve
their dreams.
Past Awards
The following Hereford High School students have received awards from the
Fund:
Name |
Year |
College |
Molly Flanagan |
1998 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Tristen Handy |
1999 |
University of Maryland |
Terri Wehnert |
2000 |
Ursinus College |
Tara Moore |
2001 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Benjamin Porter |
2002 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Gina Dreyer |
2003 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Paul Harless |
2003 |
Shepherd College |
Paul Harless |
2004 |
Shepherd College |
Laureen Peddicord |
2004 |
University of Maryland |
Jessie Salmon |
2005 |
Towson University |
Kay Dixon |
2006 |
McDaniel College |
Jonathan Weber |
2006 |
Salisbury University |
Kay Dixon |
2007 |
McDaniel College |
Kelly Hood |
2007 |
Towson University |
Collin Gloud |
2007 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Kay Dixon |
2008 |
McDaniel College |
Collin Gloud |
2008 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Emily Gradowski |
2008 |
Towson University |
Alyssa Prundente |
2008 |
Wesley College |
Kay Dixon |
2009 |
McDaniel College |
Collin Gloud |
2009 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Emily Gradowski |
2009 |
Towson University |
Kelly Hood |
2009 |
Towson University |
Amelia Tenberg |
2009 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Collin Gloud |
2010 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Emily Gradowski |
2010 |
Towson University |
Kelsey Wirtz |
2010 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Christopher Woodruff |
2010 |
University of Maryland |
Sam Cornwell |
2011 |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
Emily Gradowski |
2011 |
Towson University |
Rachael Lehrl |
2011 |
Shepherd University |
Andrew Urbanas |
2011 |
University of Maryland |
Christopher Woodruff |
2011 |
University of Maryland |
Emily Gradowski |
2012 |
Towson University |
Anna Passanti |
2012 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Amanda Thiell |
2012 |
Carroll Community College |
Andrew Urbanas |
2012 |
University of Maryland |
Kelsey Wirtz |
2012 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Carolyn Barranco |
2013 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Andrew Urbanas |
2013 |
University of Maryland |
Kelsey Wirtz |
2013 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Carolyn Barranco |
2014 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Lacey Brown |
2014 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Amanda Thiell |
2014 |
Towson University |
Andrew Urbanas |
2014 |
University of Maryland |
Carolyn Barranco |
2015 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Lacey Brown |
2015 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Caitlin Katchmar |
2015 |
St. Mary's College of Maryland |
Contributions
The Fund is an ideal outlet for charitable contributions for two reasons. First, unlike
many other organizations, it is an efficient charity -- 100% of donation revenue is
used for scholarship awards. Second, by providing educational assistance to area
high school students, donations to the Funds constitute an investment in the local
economy. Parties interested in learning more should contact
Jamie Selway or
Chris Wess.
Contributions can be mailed to Joyce Quintavalle (17326 Bushland Road, Parkton, MD
21120). The Fund is registered with the Internal Revenue Service
as a 501(c)(3) organization, so that all contributions to the Fund are
fully tax-deductible. Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code section 170(f)(8), the Fund
provides a receipt for all contributions.
Fund Organization
After operating for roughly 9 months as a non-corporate entity, the
Fund was incorporated on August 23, 1998 in the State of Maryland.
The Board of Directors meets annually -- generally in March or April --
to select a applicant for our award. The Board consists of eleven
directors, from which four officers are elected. In addition, the
Board may create committees to discharge duties on an ad hoc basis.
Present officers and directors are listed below:
Future Plans
As noted above, the Board is in the process of raising funds to support the Fund's annual
awards. The Board hopes, however, to expand the number of awards
in the near future; ideally, the Fund would provide assistance to between
five and seven students a year. Further, the long-term goal of the
Fund is to engage in educational and environmental projects in the furtherance
of its goals. Such projects could include funding to schools
for program and grants to students for environmental research.
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