First Labonski Scholarship Awarded!

Congratulations to English major and Honors student Chelsea Randall, the first recipient of the Labonski Scholarship!

This recently created endowment from English alumnus Peter Labonski, ’90, was an opportunity for him to “thank the University of Maryland – and the English Department in particular – for a tremendous undergraduate experience.” His generous donation started a scholarship intended to mitigate the expense of attending a large university for English majors in the Honors College. Mr. Labonski hopes this money will help students engaged in pursuing Maryland’s “core values of excellence in teaching, research, and service.”

Chelsea Randall exemplifies these core values. A senior English major with an emphasis in education, Chelsea combines her passion for teaching and service by tutoring disadvantaged students on weekends. In her spare time, Chelsea likes to be engaged in creative endeavors like writing, crafting, and dancing. Upon completion of her graduate teacher’s certification program, she intends to “pay it forward by becoming an English teacher in a public secondary school, giving the gift of education to others.”

Both Chelsea and the English Department are thankful for Mr. Labonski’s generous gift. Chelsea intends to use the funds to defray the costs of textbooks for her education. The Department appreciates Mr. Labonski’s kindness and is grateful for his support of fellow English majors.

Peter Labonski is currently a partner and Corporate Department Chair in the New York office of Latham and Watkins. Read his full bio here.