Dear Tom McHugh Scholarship donors,
With utmost gratitude, thank you for your very generous donations to support the Tom McHugh Scholarship for the Arts.
Your support has played an essential role in creating the foundational basis for this scholarship, shaping its mission, and providing a truly pragmatic way to keep Tom’s legacy alive. Having this award available for graduating High School Seniors means they have been presented with an opportunity to further pursue their field of art, in an Institute of Higher Education, and to be financially supported in doing so.
Over the past year and a half, we worked diligently to reach the required seed money to create the scholarship fund with the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. Your generosity not only helped meet the seed money requirements but also made it possible to exceed the original award amount that was intended.
We are delighted to announce that this year’s recipient of the award is Laila Sidky. Laila will be attending Frostburg University in the Fall of 2026 and will be studying Early Childhood Education, with a minor in Art. Seven students applied for this year’s scholarship and three finalists were ultimately interviewed. Laila entered the interview room and shared her future plans with a compelling exuberance to teach art to young children. When describing her innovative ideas to use the arts as a means of educating the youngest students, we knew without hesitation that she was the type of individual who would best carry Tom’s legacy forward to the next generation in the way that he would have wished.
Your financial support, and the impact it will have on Laila’s ability to further her education, is so very much appreciated. Following her interview, Laila wrote a memorable thank you letter to the committee, saying how much she appreciated the warmth we placed in the process. She also went on to say, “I find a lot of joy in creating things with my hands, which is part of what draws me toward teaching art to young children” and “I truly believe creativity can shape the way kids see the world.”
The Tom McHugh Scholarship Committee understands that most of you as donors to this award, had a personal relationship or uplifting experience with Tom McHugh which positively impacted your lives and the lives of others. And that because of this meaningful and lasting impact, you felt moved to support Tom’s legacy by way of this scholarship, thus providing a means to carry it on through the heart of a student like Laila Sidky. We are entirely grateful to you all for your generosity and engagement.
With heartfelt thanks,
Peg McHugh
Tom McHugh Scholarship for the Arts
Rock Hall, MD 21661
