MVF awards college scholarships to three Village high school graduates

by Hillary Juarez Mendez, Student Representative to the MVF Board of Directors

For more than 30 years, Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) has partnered with the Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs) of Watkins Mill High School (WMHS) and Gaithersburg High School (GHS) to preserve and promote the Montgomery Village Scholarship Fund. Since the program’s inception in 1991, scholarships amounting to more than $59,600 have been awarded to high school seniors from the Village. This initiative allows Village residents to support and celebrate academic achievement and leadership amongst graduating seniors.
The MVF Scholarship Fund is a powerful opportunity to unite the Village community. It helps bridge together residents, WMHS and GHS under a shared commitment to uplift and motivate the next generation of leaders. These scholarships are not only a financial boost but a recognition of excellence in academics, service and civic involvement. The amount awarded each year is determined by the donations from Village residents.
This year, MVF proudly awarded scholarships to three exceptional Village students: Andrea Ferrufino and Abigail Sanchez-Perdomo from WMHS and Sophia Harris from GHS. Each student met the MVF Board-approved guidelines, demonstrating strong academic performance, leadership and active participation in civic or community service activities.

ANDREA FERRUFINO
As a child, Andrea had a love for Legos, a hobby she would spend hours on in her family’s basement. Over time, this hobby turned into a passion, shaped by the inspiration of her uncle, who sparked her interest in engineering. His influence became a guide in her life, acting as a role model who encouraged Andrea “to prove that I am who I am.”
Andrea began doing so at an early age by serving the Montgomery Village community. At just 3 years old, she participated in “Rake the Lake” and “Plant New Flowers” events at Lake Whetstone and North Creek Community Center. Transforming public spaces with care and love was, in Andrea’s words, “not just a project of my individual efforts, but a collective endeavor rooted in a heartful commitment to giving back.” These early experiences sparked her dedication to service and the belief that even small actions can have a deep impact. “I discovered that my contributions, no matter how small, could create ripple effects of positivity, benefitting not just myself, but everyone who calls this area home,” Andrea said.
During her first years at WMHS, Andrea immersed herself in athletics, joining the volleyball, swim and dive, lacrosse, and field hockey teams. Standing out as both an athlete and a leader, she earned leadership roles such as Junior Varsity Volleyball Team Captain and was honored with the 2021 to 2022 Minds in Motion Scholar Athlete Award in Swimming.
As an upperclassman, Andrea continued to lead and excel as a student-athlete, earning the title of Varsity Captain for both field hockey and lacrosse. Beyond the field, Andrea remained committed to giving back. She was a member of Girl Scouts, served as an Assistant Swim Coach for four consecutive years, and worked as a Montgomery County Public School Lacrosse Coach. Since 9th grade, Andrea also studied photography, eventually turning her talent into a small business during her senior year.
Known by her teachers for her “intellectual curiosity” and unwillingness to take ‘no’ as an answer, Andrea will continue her academic and athletic journey at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, where she has committed to the women’s lacrosse team. She doesn’t stop there but plans to pursue a master’s and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with the hope to one day be in an airspace academy.
Looking back, Andrea credits her growth to the countless busy days that have helped shape her into the strong, independent leader she is today. To Andrea, community service gives her a “sense of hope” for the better our world can become. “I wanted to help my community realize how when someone needed something, others should help,” she said.
Although her chapter in Montgomery Village is temporarily nearing its end, Andrea’s impact is only beginning. We look forward to what she will accomplish at Washington College and for her return to the Village.

ABIGAIL SANCHEZ-PERDOMO
Growing up, Abigail watched her mother preserve life’s many challenges, becoming her role model who taught her the importance of kindness and humility. “Above all, she has shown me how important it is to be kind and supportive to those around us. Her example continues to motivate me to live with purpose and compassion every day,” Abigail said.
By her mother’s side, Abigail recognized a need in her community that others may have overlooked: the language barrier between the Spanish-speaking community and its schools. In 9th grade, she took her first steps toward breaking that barrier by serving as a Spanish interpreter at Montgomery Village Middle School. Through this experience, Abigail learned “how much I enjoy helping people, and how it gives me a sense of purpose and achievement.”
From that point on, Abigail began taking on new responsibilities as she grew more confident in her translations. She served as a Youth Group Member for four consecutive years, provided language support during Primary Elections as a Voter Operation Judge Interpreter, and interpreted at Stedwick Elementary School. At WMHS, she became an active member of the Key Club, Art Club and Be Yourself Club while also soaring in the Science National Honor Society and National Honor Society.
As an upperclassman, Abigail’s passion for helping others soon expanded into health care. She served as an intern at Rehab2Perform, a physical therapy office, as well as at Holy Cross Hospital as part of the SummerRISE program. Through her experience at Holy Cross, Abigail cemented her dream of becoming a nurse. To her, the program “wasn’t just a learning experience; rather, it helped me grow and showed me that nursing is the right path for me.”
Known by her teachers as an “enthusiastic and driven” student who “doesn’t let stress get to her,” Abigail is a natural leader who radiates warmth and purpose. This fall, she will attend Towson University in Towson, Maryland, where she plans to major in Nursing with a future focus in Orthopedics or Pediatrics. With her unique ability to connect communities in health care through translations, Abigail will no doubt ensure that every patient feels heard and valued.
With a passion for a career setting that uplifts and supports people, Abigail is driven by her “wish to make sure that everyone feels listened to and cared for, especially people who have trouble with language and culture.” To her, a community is a system of support, a system she wants to preserve in nursing by “giving care and speaking up for people who may not always feel understood.”
As Abigail expands her care and support in the medical workforce, she hopes to “make a positive impact in people’s lives,” an impact she will no doubt accomplish at Towson University.

SOPHIA HARRIS
Throughout her life, Sophia has embodied leadership, resilience and ambition. Never one to turn away from new opportunities, she constantly jumps ahead to grow and expand beyond her limits. For Sophia, her ability to overcome her challenges and adapt quickly to change is a trait she is proud to have. She credits her strength and drive to her number one supporter and role model: her mother who, to Sophia, “has shown me how to be successful, resilient and most importantly, a well-rounded person.”
By not being afraid to challenge herself, Sophia began her early start in 9th grade at GHS. She joined the Take Note A Cappella Club and simultaneously stepped into leadership as Vice President of the Student Government Association (SGA) and Team Captain for the Waredaca Pony Club, roles she would maintain for four consecutive years. Her leadership roles also extended far beyond the school campus. Sophia worked as a Summer in the Parks camp counselor, volunteered with the Washington Stone community, and maintained her job at Smokey Glen Farm Barbequers.
By the time she reached her final year at GHS, Sophia was balancing an impressive combination of diverse groups, actively leading in SGA, the Spanish Honor Society, Choir Council and Waredaca. While juggling all these responsibilities wasn’t easy, it shaped Sophia’s desire into something bigger, a desire to give back to the community. Driven most by, as she said, “my awareness of diversity… which grew my desire to give back to something bigger than me.”
Taking that desire even further, Sophia took on the responsibility of serving as a Montgomery County Election Judge. Initially introduced to the position in 11th grade by members of the Montgomery Country Board of Elections who were advertising the position, Sophia jumped at the chance to serve with no hesitation. Despite being a responsibility that only lasted for 16 hours, its impact on her was lasting, “I took valuable lessons in civic engagement from the observation of the democratic process in real time,” Sophia said.
Known by her teachers as an “active member” who constantly seeks to “develop her voice as a scholar,” Sophia will pursue a future in Advertising and Public Relations at Penn State University in University Park, Pennsylvania. “Learning how to analyze information and market it to an audience” is a field Sophia has always grown an interest in where she learned of the “value of interaction and sharing ideas.”
Sophia’s dedication and drive are traits only a true scholar can achieve. As Sophia begins her new chapter at Penn State University, there is no doubt she’ll continue to lead with confidence. As a community, we cannot wait to see all she will accomplish and look forward to the day she brings those accomplishments home to Montgomery Village.
MVF is extremely proud of these three outstanding students. We are proud to be able to support them and are honored to call them part of our Village family. As they begin their new chapters, we wish them the absolute best in their professional and academic journeys! On behalf of this year’s awardees, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the residents whose generous donations made this year’s scholarships possible. We also thank the volunteer MVF Scholarship Committee members: Clare Conlon, David Cline and Sharon Levine, who gave their time and effort to select this year’s awardees from the large pool of applicants. Your efforts continue to have a lasting impact on the lives of our youth.