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2023-24 Dr. Angela Pienkos Scholarship Awardee, Lilia Graves, DSHA '24

3/22/2024

FALL SEMESTER 2023 OF THE WORD MAGAZINE | by MOLLY SHEA

Dr. Pienkos served as DSHA’s Chief Administrator for 21 years. She had a special interest in history and chose to devote her scholarship to a student with outstanding achievement and demonstrated interest in social studies. Established in 1998, the scholarship is given annually to a student for use during her senior year, and the awardee is chosen by the DSHA Social Studies Department faculty.

“Lilia is incredibly respectful and insightful. She is very intelligent in a way that reflects her intellectual curiosity,” says Social Studies Faculty Tom Montgomery who has taught the 2023-24 recipient Lilia Graves, DSHA ’24, in three classes, five semesters in total. “She’s the model of a true student in that she chooses challenging classes to better herself and understanding of the world around her.”

Graves attended Maryland Avenue Montessori for grade school where self-guided learning is prioritized. “Every day in middle school I would read the New York Times. I loved learning about what was going on in the world,” she shares of how her passion for the subject began. “To be able to come to DSHA and have such amazing classes—I have loved it from the start. Moving from individual learning to collaborative classrooms was a challenge at first, but to get to grow in my knowledge and understanding of the world in a new way has helped me zone in academically.”

Graves is quick to credit her DSHA social studies teachers for their knowledge and the way they bring material to life. “All of my [social studies] teachers have cared about me so much—their faith in my ability has built up my confidence. I know I can handle the rigor of the college-level courses we get to take here. They have helped me shape what I want to do someday. They are so dedicated to engaging us and making sure we have what we need to be successful.”

“I’m so grateful to receive and represent this scholarship,” Graves shares. “Because of the scholarship, I was able to go on the DSHA Italy Pilgrimage [this winter] to see so many amazing pieces of history that I’ve been learning about my whole life.”

Graves has big dreams to continue expanding her world as she prepares to start college in the fall of 2024. If asked today, that dream is to become a photojournalist for the New York Times. She also sees law school in her future.

Montgomery echoes big dreams for Graves. “She has a mature ability to understand that the material she is learning is not static. It does not live in the past; it is alive,” he says. “She knows that the more she learns about and understands social studies, she is going to be able to more positively impact the world around her. Because of her intellectual curiosity and perspective on the world, she has a true opportunity to make meaningful changes.”

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