Background

In July 1997, Joe Machin suffered a fatal heart attack.  Although Joe was just 26 years old, he had accomplished much during his life; he was an environmental engineer and a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University; a dearly loved son, brother, uncle, and fiancé; and a trusted friend to many.  After his funeral, a number of his friends decided to honor his memory by awarding a scholarship in his name.  To this end, the Joseph E. Machin IV Memorial Scholarship Fund was formed.  The Fund annually awards one-time scholarships to outstanding students of Hereford High School, from which Joe graduated in 1989, at the school's awards ceremony each May.  Preference is given to applicants who plan to attend Joe's other alma matter, St. Mary's College of Maryland (Class of 1994), and students that evidence a strong interest in environmental science.

Two characteristics marked Joe's personality and educational experiences.  The first was consistent hard work; he never quit in his efforts to meet difficult self-imposed goals.  At college, Joe majored in physics and mathematics, and often had to teach himself extra material when his physics classes required mathematical tools to which he hadn't yet been exposed in the mathematics tract.  After graduation, Joe would typically work a long week, including graduate school at night, but still always had time to help his grandmother on Sundays.  The other second characteristic was his ability to accept others on their own terms.  Joe had many, many friends, and these included people from all sorts of circles.  Everyone knew Joe and thought he was a good guy -- he was open-minded, honest, and trustworthy.  And also capable of having a hell of a good time.

Hereford students interested in applying for an award should do so via the Community Scholarships application furnished by the Guidance Department (the deadline is typically in December or January).  Applicants should be aware that the Fund is more than a simple source of educational funding; those involved in growing and administering the Fund fully expect that award recipients will endeavor to learn about Joe and aspire to his example. In this fashion, the Fund both honors Joe and helps young people achieve their dreams.

Past Awards

The following Hereford High School students have received awards from the Fund:
 
Name
Year
College
Molly Flanagan
1998
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Tristen Handy
1999
University of Maryland
Terri Wehnert
2000
Ursinus College
Tara Moore
2001
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Benjamin Porter
2002
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Gina Dreyer
2003
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Paul Harless
2003
Shepherd College
Paul Harless
2004
Shepherd College
Laureen Peddicord
2004
University of Maryland
Jessie Salmon
2005
Towson University
Kay Dixon
2006
McDaniel College
Jonathan Weber
2006
Salisbury University
Kay Dixon
2007
McDaniel College
Kelly Hood
2007
Towson University
Collin Gloud
2007
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Kay Dixon
2008
McDaniel College
Collin Gloud
2008
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Emily Gradowski
2008
Towson University
Alyssa Prundente
2008
Wesley College
Kay Dixon
2009
McDaniel College
Collin Gloud
2009
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Emily Gradowski
2009
Towson University
Kelly Hood
2009
Towson University
Amelia Tenberg
2009
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Collin Gloud
2010
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Emily Gradowski
2010
Towson University
Kelsey Wirtz
2010
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Christopher Woodruff
2010
University of Maryland
Sam Cornwell
2011
Georgia Institute of Technology
Emily Gradowski
2011
Towson University
Rachael Lehrl
2011
Shepherd University
Andrew Urbanas
2011
University of Maryland
Christopher Woodruff
2011
University of Maryland
Emily Gradowski
2012
Towson University
Anna Passanti
2012
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Amanda Thiell
2012
Carroll Community College
Andrew Urbanas
2012
University of Maryland
Kelsey Wirtz
2012
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Carolyn Barranco
2013
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Andrew Urbanas
2013
University of Maryland
Kelsey Wirtz
2013
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Carolyn Barranco
2014
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Lacey Brown
2014
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Amanda Thiell
2014
Towson University
Andrew Urbanas
2014
University of Maryland
Carolyn Barranco
2015
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Lacey Brown
2015
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Caitlin Katchmar
2015
St. Mary's College of Maryland
 

Contributions

The Fund is an ideal outlet for charitable contributions for two reasons. First, unlike many other organizations, it is an efficient charity -- 100% of donation revenue is used for scholarship awards. Second, by providing educational assistance to area high school students, donations to the Funds constitute an investment in the local economy. Parties interested in learning more should contact Jamie Selway or Chris Wess

Contributions can be mailed to Joyce Quintavalle (17326 Bushland Road, Parkton, MD 21120).  The Fund is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization, so that all contributions to the Fund are fully tax-deductible.  Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code section 170(f)(8), the Fund provides a receipt for all contributions.

Fund Organization

After operating for roughly 9 months as a non-corporate entity, the Fund was incorporated on August 23, 1998 in the State of Maryland.  The Board of Directors meets annually -- generally in March or April -- to select a applicant for our award.  The Board consists of eleven directors, from which four officers are elected.  In addition, the Board may create committees to discharge duties on an ad hoc basis.  Present officers and directors are listed below:
 
Joyce Quintavalle , President Jamie Selway, VP and Secretary Chris Wess, Treasurer
Tracey Machin Beyer Courtney Carr B. J. Honeycutt
Joe Kroart Rick Quintavalle Hans Schimdl
Eric Sopp Sharon Larrick Sopp
 

Future Plans

As noted above, the Board is in the process of raising funds to support the Fund's annual awards.  The Board hopes, however, to expand the number of awards in the near future; ideally, the Fund would provide assistance to between five and seven students a year.  Further, the long-term goal of the Fund is to engage in educational and environmental projects in the furtherance of its goals.  Such  projects could include funding to schools for program and grants to students for environmental research.


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