Student Spotlight

Brooks Long
Urban Scholar
Washington College
Chestertown, Maryland
Class of 2008

Washington College was Brooks' first choice among potential college endeavors and, at the same time, due to financial challenges, the school least likely to accept him.

Believing the odds were against him, Brooks came close to reconciling with the thought of not applying, but, ultimately, decided "it was worth a shot." Following his unexpected acceptance to his ideal school, the I-Fund seized the opportunity to significantly contribute to Brooks' advancement with the funds and opportunities provided by its Urban Scholars Program (USP).

While majoring in English and Physics, Brooks continues to actively pursue experience in his core interests-music and creative writing. He plays guitar with the College Jazz Ensemble and maintains memberships with both Washington College's Writer's and Musician's Unions. He's also interned both with Plexus Group, an engineering firm, and BGE Constellation as well as worked as a cameraman for a student-produced film.

Scholarship Amount: $10,000

Collegiate Activities:

• Writer's Union
• Musician's Union
• Jazz Ensemble

Brooks says: Sincerely thankful for the academic opportunities and work experiences afforded by "the I-Fund," Brooks remains grateful and singularly dedicated to learning, as conveyed in the following quote from his thank-you letter to the I-Fund: "I assure you that it is worth every cent and every effort."