Anne Arundel County Students Awarded $20K Scholarships, Laptops From Dell

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Three Anne Arundel County high school seniors have received scholarships from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, according to county school staff.

Shafa Alam of North County High School, Bianca Guffey of Southern High School, and Ana Hernandez Valcarcel of Broadneck High School each received Dell Foundation scholarships worth $20,000 along with a laptop computer and printer.

All three students are enrolled in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools' Advancement Via Individual Determination program, which is designed to support students in the "academic middle" and prepare them to be successful in college, school staff said.

The Dell Scholars Program was created in 2004. It places greater emphasis on a student's determination to succeed rather than on their academic record and test scores, according to school staff. 

The purpose of the scholarship program is to help students to gain the skills and attitude necessary to cope with the changing world and their changing circumstances, school staff said.