A recent $500,000 donation to McDaniel College will go toward experiential learning opportunities and Experience Awards.
Robert "Robin" Salomon III, of Bethesda, a member of the McDaniel board of trustees and a former parent visitor to the board, and his wife, Sarah, the parents of a McDaniel College alumnus, made the donation, according to a news release from the college.
The money for experiential learning opportunities will include need-based scholarships for undergraduate summer research of $2,500 each for up to 10 students (up to $25,000 each summer), and Experience Awards of $500 each for up to 50 students annually (up to $25,000 each year) to help defray the cost of unpaid experiential learning opportunities, according to the release.
The donation also goes toward assisting students with documented disabilities receiving services through McDaniel's Student Academic Support Services (SASS) office, specifically freshmen and transfer students enrolled in the McDaniel Step Ahead program and students with financial need who are eligible for the Academic Skills Program (ASP), according to the release.
McDaniel Step Ahead, facilitated by SASS, assists incoming freshmen and transfer students with documented disabilities acclimate to college, according to the release. Step Ahead students move onto campus early and participate in a five-day program of workshops and other activities that help establish both a college routine and a support network on campus.
In addition, two $2,500 scholarships are to be awarded each year to students with financial need who are eligible for the ASP, according to the release. This fee-based service provides one-on-one support to students with documented disabilities in academics, time management, organizational skills and self-advocacy techniques.
"The Salomon gift is incredibly impactful for the McDaniel community as we move toward guaranteeing affordable, high quality experiential learning opportunities for each of our undergraduate students," McDaniel Provost Julia Jasken said in the release. "This award will enable us to better support such high-impact learning experiences such as study abroad, internships, community engagement, undergraduate summer student-faculty research and service learning."
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