By: Erik Pedersen, Senior Communications Manager
BALTIMORE – A pair of Notre Dame of Maryland University rising juniors were recently selected as the recipients of full-tuition scholarships through the Clare Boothe Luce Program for Women in STEM.
Nadia Abi ’24 and Erika Gutierrez ’24 have earned scholarships to cover tuition, fees, and books for their final two years on campus, and they will also be eligible for additional academic and career support during that time period. NDMU’s Clare Boothe Luce Scholars were selected based on their potential for success in chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computer science, as well as financial need and leadership involvement.
Abi is a chemistry major who served as resident advisor as a sophomore and previously volunteered for Shared Support Maryland, Inc., a nonprofit organization which provides support through person-directed planning and organizational change to individuals with all levels of disability.
“This is an incredible opportunity for me as I enter my junior year,” Abi said. “I feel like the 1-on-1 mentoring component will be very beneficial as I start to prepare for life after college, deciding whether to go into a master’s program or jump straight into an industry job.”
Gutierrez is a mathematics major and secondary education minor who is hoping to become a math teacher after graduation. She was first drawn to that potential career path as a student at nearby Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.
“I had some great teachers in high school,” Gutierrez said. “I had always felt that I wasn’t good at math, but the way they taught it made everything seem easier to understand. I want to be able to help others the same way they helped me.”
The scholarships were made possible through a $172,500 grant awarded by the Henry Luce Foundation during the 2022 spring semester. Additional support available to the scholarship recipients includes seminars with industry mentors, career workshops, and research opportunities with NDMU faculty members.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
Julia Campagna, director of mission and ministry at NDMU, discusses both the history of All Saints' Day and how the holiday is recognized on campus in this USA TODAY feature article.
