The Board of Education at its Feb. 8 meeting honored five Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students. School principals annually select one student and staff member for Board recognition. Students are honored for accomplishments in the areas of academic achievement, career readiness and personal responsibility.

Honored at the meeting were Brynn Boyden of Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School; Marrkan Girum of Billingsley Elementary School; Savanna Proctor of Indian Head Elementary School; Maurice White Jr. of Theodore G. Davis Middle School; and Kieron Best of Westlake High School.  

Boyden is a Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy fifth grader and was recognized in the area of career readiness. She is described as a great student who is kind, caring and completes her assignments with maturity and enthusiasm. For the first quarter of fifth grade, Boyden had straight As and was on the Principal’s Honor Roll. While balancing work and completing assignments on time, she plays the cello, participates in the DARE program and is also part of the school’s math team. With all the extracurricular activities, Boyden displays perseverance and collaborates well with her classmates and teachers. “When Brynn was asked about all the things she loves to do in school, she said that she really loves to play the cello … even though the instrument is about the same size as her,” Mt. Hope Principal Mike Hoffman said. Outside of school, Boyden loves animals and enjoys playing with and training her dogs, a golden retriever and Boston terrier. She wants to focus on that profession when she gets older, training dogs like service K9s to help protect people. She has taken a step toward career readiness as a hardworking student that can balance many things in her educational career. 

Girum is a fourth-grade student at Billingsley who was recognized in the area of academic achievement. Girum began her early years of education in Ethiopia. She has been a stellar student since arriving at Billingsley in second grade. Girum reads above grade level and has been named to the Principal's Honor Roll every quarter, beginning in third grade. She is the recipient of certificates for being a "Library Lover" and demonstrating outstanding performance in science. Identified for gifted services in reading, Girum is a master at leading discussions in her reading class where she helps her group delve deeper into the text. Girum loves to share her creativity through writing.  Her writing samples go above and beyond that of a typical fourth grader. She began writing books at the age of three and has written numerous stories, many of which have been shared with her class and purchased by her family. Girum aspires to run a business one day related to handmade books. In her spare time, Girum is a Cub Scout, active in the Girls and Boys Club of America, a member of Girls Who Code and a member of Billingsley’s Best Buddies Club. Her academic performance, together with her model behavior and strong leadership skills lead to her selection to represent Billingsley as its Carson Scholar Nominee for the 2021-2022 school year. “Her passion for school is contagious to all those around her,” Billingsley Principal Sabrina Robinson-Taylor said.

A fifth-grade student at Indian Head, Proctor, was recognized in the area of personal responsibility.  She has attended Indian Head since prekindergarten and has since earned a spot on the school’s honor roll every quarter. Proctor enjoys reading, practicing cursive and playing board games with her friends and family. “Savanna is a student who always does the right thing,” Indian Head Principal Shane Blandford said. “She is quick to help her teachers as well as her classmates and is a wonderful leader in personal responsibility.” Proctor is known as a constant role model for her fifth-grade peers, and she goes above and beyond each day to ensure she is reaching her fullest potential. Proctor exemplifies Indian Head’s three Rs — she’s Respectful, Responsible and Ready to learn. “Savanna is a leader both academically and socially,” Blandford said.

White is an eighth-grade student at Davis and was recognized in the area of academic achievement. Throughout his middle school experience, White has achieved all As and Bs on his report card (and there are not many Bs, Davis Principal Robert Griffiths said.) While maintaining stellar grades, White finds time to participate in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball and hopes to get a chance to show his abilities on Davis’ eighth-grade basketball team. “Maurice’s teachers agree that he is an absolute pleasure to be around,” Griffiths said. “He respects himself and everyone he comes into contact with, and he truly values what it means to be a Davis Falcon.” White is already mapping out his future after graduating from high school. His ultimate dream is to become a chiropractor, however, he has not discounted his basketball abilities and would love to play professionally, even overseas, if given the opportunity. “With the hard work and dedication that Maurice has shown these past three school years, his Davis Family knows he will be able to do anything he sets his mind to,” Griffiths said.

A senior at Westlake, Best was recognized in the area of academic achievement. Best displays ambition, perseverance and motivation. Throughout high school, he has learned to balance a rigorous course load of Advanced Placement and Project Lead the Way biomedical sciences classes while maintaining a cumulative weighted GPA of 4.42857. He demonstrates excellent work habits and always comes to class ready to learn, both of which contribute to his overall success, Westlake Principal Diane Roberts said. He asks important questions, and consistently has a positive can-do attitude when it comes to learning, school or improving as a person. “Kieron, without a doubt, is one of the most promising seniors at Westlake due to his ability to meet challenges head on,” Roberts said. “These skills are natural to him and not all students his age possess such qualities.” Though Best is successful in the classroom, he does not look down upon others who may be struggling. Through the AVID program, he offers assistance and his knowledge to help classmates improve their understanding of various subjects. Best thrives on constructive feedback and has grown as a student throughout his educational career. He even excelled with virtual learning despite challenges it brought.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).