AFCEA DC Announces 2025 STEM Scholarship Recipients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AFCEA DC ANNOUNCES 2025 STEM SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Organization awards $60,000 to promising Washington DC region STEM scholars
Washington, DC, June 19, 2025 – The Washington, DC Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA DC) announced this year’s awardees of its annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarship Program. A total of $60,000 in scholarships was awarded to twenty-one high school seniors throughout the Washington, DC region. Each recipient earned $2,800 for pursuing degrees within the STEM fields. The scholarship selection and awards process was led by Jon Jumento, AFCEA DC Vice President for STEM and Senior Sales Manager – Aerospace and Defense at Juniper Networks.
“Our judging panel had a tough job reviewing the very qualified 235 applications to hand pick these 21 deserving students,” said Jumento. “Scholarships were awarded based on a holistic assessment of achievements in academics, school and community leadership, financial need, and recommendations. We are impressed with and proud of this 2025 class.”
AFCEA DC aims to promote higher education in the STEM fields of computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and management information systems annually by awarding scholarships to local high school seniors. Since 1989, AFCEA DC has awarded over 500 scholarships—totaling more than $2.93 million—to students from 30 area high schools attending over 85 different colleges. Scholarships are funded by the AFCEA DC winter gala and other chapter events.
“Building and supporting the next generation of leaders energizes AFCEA DC’s leadership and membership,” commented Becci DeFrank, 2024-2025 AFCEA DC President and Federal Sector AI Leader at NVIDIA. “The accomplishments and drive of these students is an inspiration for what the future of STEM innovation holds.”
The following scholarship recipients were chosen from local high schools and are a part of the graduating class of 2025:
- Alex Acosta, St. Albans School
- Ajibola Ajani, Eleanor Roosevelt High School
- Duke Boateng, Charles Herbert Flowers High School
- Saniya Datham, McKinley Technology High School
- Amy Fernandez Garcia, Falls Church High School
- Christelle Fru, Charles Herbert Flowers High School
- Michaela Gallion, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School
- Nathan Goss, James Madison High School
- Jocelyn Gu, Poolesville High School
- Jackson Healy, Carter G. Woodson High School/Northern Virginia Community College
- Mohamed Kabia, Bishop McNamara High School
- Kieron Kane, Richard Montgomery High School
- Tiffany Ling, South County High School
- Sadiq Mubarak, Justice High School
- Jenna Nguyen, Charles J Colgan High School
- Ryan Nisay, Potomac Falls High School
- Jaden Oh, Stone Bridge High School
- Ella Ridgway, Lake Braddock Secondary School
- Zander Scheib, Richard Montgomery High School
- Alyx Sheridan, Carter G. Woodson High School
- Ivan Zhang, Richard Montgomery High School
Additionally, AFCEA DC worked with Comcast Business to select one recipient for their honorary Donna Livingston scholarship. This scholarship honors Donna Livingston, an active supporter of AFCEA DC through her work at Comcast Business. She and her family tragically lost their lives in the DCA plane crash this January. Ella Ridgeway of Lake Braddock Secondary School was chosen for this honorary scholarship.
“When reviewing Ella’s application, I was deeply moved by her involvement in Girl Scouts of America and Odyssey of the Mind—two organizations that Donna held close to her heart and encouraged her daughters to be part of,” said Thelma Barker, AFCEA DC Board member and Comcast Government Services Director – Senior Client Partner.
To learn about AFCEA’s professional awards that recognize exemplary service to the government, military and industry clients, and partners, visit the AFCEA International Awards Programs website.
About AFCEA DC
AFCEA DC is the Washington, DC-based chapter of AFCEA International. Established in 1946, AFCEA is a membership-based, non-profit organization dedicated to increasing knowledge through the exploration of issues relevant to its members in information technology, communications and electronics for the defense, homeland security, and intelligence communities. For over 75 years, the association has provided an environment for military, government, and industry communities to collaborate so that technology and strategy support the needs of those who serve. Washington, DC Chapter largely focuses on the Department of War, the intelligence community, military health-related agencies, and issues of national security. For more information, visit dc.afceachapters.org.