The Alan and Mary Jo Lincoln Scholarship (AMJL) Program, presented by Riverside Sales Group, LLC, awarded its 2025 scholarship to Ms. Michaela Gallion. Ms. Gallion graduated in June 2025 with a 4.35 GPA from Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington D.C., and recently started her freshman year at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. She received an award of $1,000 to support her studies.
2025 was another record breaking year for AMJL as we received over 500 applications, 200 more than last year’s record high! Applicants for the scholarship are graduating African American high school seniors who plan to attend college or trade school full-time. Applicants must have maintained a minimum 2.5 GPA and demonstrated leadership by engaging in school and community activities. Mr. and Mrs. Alan and Mary Jo Lincoln believe in supporting the educational advancement of future African-American leaders and are committed to alleviating part of the financial burden of college/trade school attendance.
Michaela wore many hats during her time at Benjamin Banneker, including membership in the Robotics Club, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and Environmental Club. Her leadership roles included serving as Vice President of the Math Honor Society, and Editor in Chief of the school newspaper–where she won the award for Most Outstanding Journalist. She also used her journalistic strengths to co-create and produce a full documentary titled “Fading Colors“ about the impact of gentrification in the nation’s capital.
Ms. Gallion is deeply committed to her city, having served as a tutor and aftercare assistant to younger students, as well as a youth and community service assistant at the Latin American Youth Center. She also held two internships; the Bloomberg Arts Internship at the Sitar Arts Center, and a social justice internship at the O Museum at the Manion. At her internship at the O Museum, she collaborated on the upcoming augmented reality project 51 Steps to Freedom®.
After completing her undergraduate degree in Computer Science with a focus on Cybersecurity, Ms. Gallion hopes to use her knowledge to solve real world problems, protect citizens, and maintain national security. She also plans to use her skill of coding to create fun and educational programs for children. We love the sound of that!
Congratulations, Michaela!
Photo courtesy of Ms. Michaela Gallion