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By SU Public Relations

SALISBURY, MD---Two ºÚÁÏÍø students are among the recipients of this year’s University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents Student Excellence Scholarships.

Stephora Alberi, a junior computer science major from Salisbury, earned the award in the Outreach and Engagement Category. Bradley Powers, a junior B.F.A. major from Smithsburg, MD, won in the Innovation and Creative Activity category.

The award is the highest honor bestowed to students by the Board of Regents, recognizing exemplary achievement. Alberi and Powers will each receive $2,000 from the USM and USM Foundation to apply toward future tuition.

“I often find myself in awe of our students,” said USM Chancellor Jay Perman. “The curiosity they bring to their work, the brilliance and creativity that animate it, the dedication they show to making a real and meaningful difference in the world — all of that inspires me. And I know it inspires their professors, too. It’s a pleasure to pay tribute to them.”

Through SU’s Presidential Citizen Scholars program, Alberi was part of a student group working to promote road safety and transportation access for marginalized communities on Salisbury’s West Side. She and her colleagues created a trilingual community survey—in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole—to gather residents’ experiences and suggestions.

Sharing their data and recommendations with leaders from the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County resulted in the installation of a new bus stop on Cypress Street to help provide more equitable transportation opportunities.

Striving to pursue a career in art, Powers started her Etsy shop, @CeramicsByBradley, to put the techniques she has honed at SU to use in the business world. These include “saggar firing,” which employs a protective container during the kiln-firing process.

Describing her sculptures as juxtaposing beauty and unease, she also is president of the SU Clay Club, which hosts workshops and studio days, funds travel to national conventions, and engages members in service activities. Under her leadership, the club’s participation has more than doubled.

Alberi and Powers will join 10 additional winners from USM institutions throughout the state in being honored during a ceremony on Sunday, May 19.

Learn more about SU and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at the SU website.