Ajla Salkic, a 2022 graduate of Boiling Springs High School, has been selected as the recipient of the Dickinson-Cumberland County Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition scholarship awarded annually to a college-bound Cumberland County resident who demonstrates academic excellence, engagement in the community, a drive to confront important issues and a strong sense of integrity, selflessness and service.
“I'll be the first in my family to attend a four-year college as a first-generation American,” said Salkic, whose parents are refugees from Bosnia. “I am beyond eager to further establish my roots in my hometown and perpetuate a standard for all children of refugees, immigrants and Muslims across the country.”
“Ajla is a standout who embodies all that this scholarship is intended to recognize,” says Dickinson President John E. Jones III '77, P11. “We are ready to welcome her to Dickinson, and we are excited to see her build on her potential with us.”
In addition to her excellent academics, Salkic captained Boiling Springs’ varsity field hockey team; led the Perfect Peers, a club that promotes inclusion among those with and without intellectual disabilities; and worked as a school board student representative.
Salkic’s academic work has already won admiration on campus, as she participated in the college’s Knowledge for Freedom seminar for high school students in the summer of 2021. At Dickinson, she plans to study political science and English and is looking forward to studying abroad in France or Italy.
Dickinson launched the scholarship in 2017 as a reflection of its deep commitment to Carlisle and Cumberland County. The scholarship has been recognized by Forbes as a “good neighbor” initiative.
Published May 23, 2022