Macdonell Scotland Scholarship

The Scotland Community-Macdonell Scholarship is presented to high school seniors and college students residing in the Scotland Community in Potomac, Maryland. The purpose of the award is to acknowledge young people who have served the community and to help develop their skills for future leadership. The recipients demonstrate academic achievement, leadership, service to others, good citizenship, and promise of success.

The scholarship was established in 1997 by the members of Saint Mark Presbyterian Church in honor of their founding pastor, The Reverend Dr. James G. Macdonell on the occasion of his retirement.  Dr. Macdonell was a leader in the Save our Scotland Program in the 1960s.  The Scotland Community which originally was located on Seven Locks Road between Montrose Road and Democracy Boulevard was being overtaken by residential expansion.  In addition, the Department of Parks and Recreation wanted to build a stable on the land by condemning the property and paying a small portion of the actual value.  Community Ministries of Montgomery County (now Interfaith Works) was active in the effort to save the land for the people who had grown up in the community, by selling some of the land in order to build the current townhouse community; 75% of the townhouses are rented and 25% are owned.  Currently, the County is building a new Community Center which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2014.

The Saint Mark Scotland Community-Macdonell Scholarship Committee works with interested Scotland students who attend Winston Churchill High School, helping them with the college application process and identifying additional scholarship opportunities.  The Scholarship is presented annually and the recipient(s) are chosen by representatives from Saint Mark and the Community. The recipient(s) are honored at the annual Scotland Community Picnic held in August, and the funds are made available directly to the recipient’s school of choice.

Applicants for this award must:

• Reside in the Scotland Community and be a student in good standing;
• Complete an Application Form;
• Provide a copy of their unofficial high school transcript; and
• Provide two letters of recommendation.  One letter of recommendation should be from a current teacher or school counselor and the other letter of recommendation should be from someone who knows about the applicant’s academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and community service; it should NOT be from a relative.

Nominations from the Community are encouraged.

Applications are available in the Winston Churchill High School College/Career Center and here on the Saint Mark website.

Applications should be submitted to a Winston Churchill High School Counselor or sent to
Caroline Touchton, Saint Mark Presbyterian Church Scotland Scholarship Coordinator via e-mail at ctouch@comcast.net or via U.S. mail to:
Saint Mark Presbyterian Church
10701 Old Georgetown Road
North Bethesda, Maryland 20852.

The Saint Mark Scotland Community-Macdonell Scholarship Committee welcomes individuals interested in helping students complete financial aid forms and college applications.  Please contact Caroline Touchton at 301-977-8581 for more information.