NASA Federal Credit Union Awards Scholarships to Area Students

At the conclusion of its 2019 Mitchell-Beall-Rosen Memorial Scholarship Contest, NASA Federal Credit Union awarded scholarships—ranging from $1,000 to the top prize of $8,000—to seven high school seniors. The annual program rewards the writing talents of young Credit Union members who are working toward four-year or two-year undergraduate degrees or vocational studies. Students submit 1,000-word essays that focus on their educational goals and financial literacy as they pertain to the cost of a college education and their plans for paying it.

“NASA Federal Credit Union is proud to contribute to the success of these seven extraordinary individuals through the Mitchell-Beall-Rosen Memorial Scholarship,” said Frank Peñaranda, Chairman of NASA Federal’s Scholarship Committee and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of NASA Federal Credit Union. “I am always humbled by the accomplishments of our scholarship winners and these seven members are no exception. Our future is definitely in good hands with them.”

The following outstanding seniors were recipients of this year’s scholarship awards:

- Bailey Abel of Kennesaw, Georgia—Will study Biological Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
- Kelsey Crane of Ellicott City, Maryland—Plans to study Business Management at the University of Maryland.
- Kellin McGowan of Houston, Texas—Will study Political Science and Economics at the University of Chicago.
- Sofia Merkowitz-Bustos of Clarksville, Maryland—Will pursue a degree in Architecture at Towson University.
- Hana Motta of Laurel, Maryland—Looks forward to studying Entrepreneurship and Economics at Brown University.
- Steven Queen of Eldersburg, Maryland—Will attend the University of Maryland to study Engineering and Computer Science.
- Derrick Sanders of Bowie, Maryland—Will study Materials Science Engineering at the University of Maryland.

(left to right: Steven Queen, Kelsey Crane, Hana Motta, and Derrick Sanders; not in attendance: Bailey Abel, Sofia Merkowitz-Bustos and Kellin McGowan)

About the NASA Federal Credit Union Scholarship Program

The Scholarship Program was established in 1983 in memory of Wilfred Mitchell and then renamed in 1991 to also honor Donald Beall. Both men are former NASA Federal Credit Union officials who were strong advocates of the education of our youth. In 2010, the name of the scholarship program was again changed, to the Mitchell-Beall-Rosen Memorial Scholarship Program, in honor of Eugene D. Rosen, who was instrumental in launching the program and served as its Chairman for 27 years. Mitchell, Beall and Rosen are fondly remembered for their commitment to the Credit Union movement and especially for their efforts to help young people succeed.