St. Mary’s College of Maryland, along with trustee and alumnus John Bell ’95, are pleased to announce the establishment of two new scholarships for Harford County residents who have been admitted to St. Mary’s College.
The John Bell Havre de Grace Scholarship and the John Bell Harford County Scholarship are two merit-based scholarships with preference given to students with financial need.
Bell graduated from Havre de Grace High School in Harford County, Md. in 1991, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in public policy from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
“I thrived in Havre de Grace High School’s collaborative learning environment and diverse community,” said Bell. “I found that same environment at St. Mary’s College, along with an exceptional academic program emphasizing the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills. I valued the small class sizes and caring faculty, as well as the lifelong friendships and connections I made at St. Mary’s, which propelled me into a competitive job market and a successful career. I continue to be grateful for these formative experiences. My hope is that these scholarships help others benefit from a similar experience.”
The John Bell Havre de Grace Scholarship provides annual awards up to $5,000 to first-year admitted students of St. Mary’s College who are graduates of Havre de Grace High School.
The John Bell Harford County Scholarship provides annual awards up to $2,500 to first-year admitted students of St. Mary’s College who are permanent residents of Harford County.
Both scholarships are renewable for up to four years. By applying to the College, candidates from Havre de Grace High School or Harford County immediately become eligible to compete for these scholarships.
In addition to these scholarships, Bell established the John Bell Intern Scholarship in 2012 which currently underwrites for-credit summer internships with The GLBT Historical Society’s Museum and Archives in San Francisco, Calif.
Bell is a managing director in Global Equities at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York. Currently head of Americas Account Management, he joined the firm in 2006 to launch the firm’s prime brokerage offering in San Francisco where he was responsible for origination sales and relationship management. He has more than 20 years of experience in financial services.
Governor Hogan appointed Bell to the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Board of Trustees in June 2017. Previously, Bell served as vice president of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Foundation from 2014 to 2017 after joining the board of directors in 2012. He has served as chairman of the board of the Edgewood Center for Children & Families and was a founding sponsor of the GLBT History Museum in San Francisco. He also serves on Bank of America’s Global Banking & Markets Diversity & Inclusion Council and the Bank of America LGBT Executive Council. In addition to his B.A. from St. Mary’s, Bell was awarded an executive education certificate in governing for nonprofit excellence from Harvard Business School.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education through 2024-2025. St. Mary’s College, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Approximately 1,600 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary’s River in Southern Maryland.