On Monday, July 20, Jubilee Housing awarded Jubilee to College (JTC) Scholarships to 14 students — 10 college freshmen and four students already in college. The students attend or will attend American University, Bowie State University, Delaware State University, George Washington University, Hood College, John Hopkins University, Marymount University, Rochester University, Spelman College, Temple University, University of Delaware, and University of the District of Columbia.

The celebration also honored two students graduating from college — one from University of Maryland, College Park and one from Trinity University.

Scholars, parents, leaders from Jubilee Housing, and the JTC committee gathered on Zoom for the celebration. Students shared their excitement for the year ahead and their desire to make a meaningful impact on the world. Aaliyah Dorsey, who will attend University of Rochester this fall, talked about the significance of starting college without financial concerns.

The JTC scholarship program began in 2011, when a group of long-standing Jubilee supporters raised approximately $6,000 for two young adults who had been accepted to college but didn’t have all the funds they needed to start school. As JTC cofounder Jane Mahaffie explained, “The call to raise funds coincided with my oldest son Robert heading off to college. It struck a chord with me that every person ought to have the ability to achieve the dream of a college education.”

Those initial contributions grew into an annual program through which the JTC committee awards up to $2,500 per year in gap funding to help participants in Jubilee Housing’s Teen Center pursue higher education.

Jubilee to College cofounder Susan Ross commented on why the JTC scholarship is more important now than ever. “The pandemic has demonstrated that more people with brilliant minds and thoughtful hearts are needed in leadership positions in our communities and in our nation,” she said. “A college education will help develop our JTC scholars into exceptional leaders.”

Teen Center staff worked tirelessly to support this year’s scholars. Teen Services Manager Emmanuel Gbajobi said “The Teen Center has been remarkable this past year. We were able to provide services to a large number of students, but the highlight was being able to offer 14 scholarships through our JTC Committee. I’m proud to be involved in this line of work and I’m looking forward to continuing this effort.”

Dean Cinkala, a member of the JTC committee, described this year’s scholarship recipients as “the most impressive group of scholars we’ve had.” He applauded the Teen Center team’s efforts “identifying and working with these talented students. The future is bright for these rising stars,” he said.

Congratulations to this year’s Jubilee to College scholars! We can’t wait to see what your future holds.