One for the History Books: Dickinson Welcomes First Reynolds Scholars
Members of the first cohort of Reynolds Scholars meet with President John E. Jones III '77, P'11 (second from left) and George and Jennifer Ward Reynolds '71. .
video by Joe O'Neill
Maryland scholarship recipients mark start of academic careers
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
Five students in Dickinson’s class of 2026 have already secured a spot in the college’s history books. All five hail from Maryland. And all part of the very first cohort for Dickinson’s innovative Reynolds Leadership Scholar Program.
“I visited Dickinson over the summer, and I really wanted to go here. This program makes that possible,” says Reynolds Scholar Sarah Pearl ’26, a student leader from Laurel, Maryland. “It’s a really big opportunity for me, being the first woman in my family to go to college.”
The Reynolds Leadership Scholar Program awards $160,000 ($40,000/year) tuition for eight semesters of full-time study to high-achieving Marylanders with demonstrated leadership potential. In addition to the tuition support, including funding for off-campus study in a Dickinson or partner program, Reynolds Scholars take part in leadership training and networking and mentoring programs that connect them with leaders within their home state.
Reynolds Scholars also attend an annual dinner with college leaders, hosted by George and Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77. Prominent members of the Baltimore-area community, the couple founded the cohort-based scholarship program last year.
“We know, from our own lives, that Dickinson offers a world-class education that’s truly transformational,” says Jennifer, who served as chair of the college’s Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2017 and continues to serve as a board member. “All five of our first Reynolds Scholars are just terrific scholars and engaged people who are excited to be a part of the Dickinson community, and we know that, through this program and through the benefits of a Dickinson liberal-arts education, they’ll do great things to help make a positive impact on the world.”
In the meantime, the first Reynolds Scholars are getting used to their new digs, settling in to the rhythms of campus life, and feeling energized by the possibilities ahead.
“It was really exciting to get that email, telling me that I’m a Reynolds Scholar,” says Pearl. “It’s also a confidence boost—it tells me that I am right for the college, and the college is right for me.”
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Published October 5, 2022