HUGHESVILLE, Md. — Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) has awarded four scholarships for 2026 to high school seniors who live in the cooperative’s service area. Recipients receive awards based on scholastic achievement, financial need, and school and community involvement.
Since beginning the scholarship program in 1993, SMECO has presented awards to 136 students. Each of the following students will receive a $2,500 college scholarship: Abrielle Cook, Madison Freytag, Jayla Harris, and James Smith.
Abrielle Cook graduates this year from Chopticon High School in St. Mary’s County. She plans to attend Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to study secondary education with a concentration in mathematics. While in high school, Cook received the Minds in Motion Athletic Award and the Academic All-American Award. She also became a member of the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society. In her community, she volunteered at the Children’s Christmas Event at the Mechanicsville Moose Lodge and at the Charles County Animal Care Center. Her work with children has included interning at Leonardtown Middle School to help teach mathematics, and teaching at youth basketball and volleyball camps at Chopticon. In addition to the SMECO scholarship, Cook received a $1,500 scholarship from the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC) and its Education Scholarship Foundation. Cook is the child of Joseph and Julie Cook of Mechanicsville.
Madison Freytag is graduating from Great Mills High School in St. Mary’s County. She plans to study bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She placed on the honor roll for all four years of high school. She also received the Academic Excellence Award for achieving the top score on the Advanced Placement biology exam, and the school named her the Hornet of the Month. Active in theater, Freytag served as stage manager and rehearsal director for Lighthouse Productions at Great Mills, and she also volunteered in theater programs at Dowell Elementary School. She tutors students in science and math who speak English as a second language, and she has pursued instruction in American Sign Language. Freytag is the child of Melissa Freytag of Lexington Park.
Jayla Harris graduates this year from St. Charles High School in Charles County. She will attend Tuskegee University in Alabama to study animal science, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. While in high school, she placed on the Principal’s Honor Roll and received the Minds in Motion School Athlete Award. Active in her school’s performing arts program, she was inducted into the International Thespian Society. She participated in the High School Envirothon for two years, and in her senior year she was the vice president of marketing and media for her class. In the community, Harris volunteered with the Butterflies Mentoring Club to promote health and wellness for young girls, serving as a camp counselor and providing guidance. She also assisted the Charles County Humane Society in caring for animals. Harris is the child of Essence Harris of Waldorf.
James Smith is graduating from Thomas Stone High School in Charles County. He plans to study computer science at the University of Maryland, with the goal of working in cybersecurity. Awards that he received at Thomas Stone include Principal’s Honor Roll, AP Scholar with Distinction, Academic Excellence Award, and Academic Pin. He also placed on the Dean’s List at the College of Southern Maryland through the Dual Enrollment program. Smith served as graduation marshal for the Class of 2025. Last year, he was a cybersecurity and defense intern at Georgetown University during its residential summer program, helping a non-profit organization implement a start-up security plan. Smith is the child of Janice Benjamin of Waldorf.
VMDAEC Scholarships Recognize Local Students
Besides the four students receiving SMECO scholarships, five others from the cooperative’s service area received money for higher education from the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC) and its Education Scholarship Foundation. SMECO is a member of the association along with other electric cooperatives in the Mid-Atlantic region. The foundation awarded $165,000 in college scholarships to deserving high school students for the 2026-27 school year.
In addition to Abrielle Cook, the other recipients of VMDAEC scholarships were:
- London Brehon ($2,500), a graduating senior at La Plata High School.
- Lia Durham ($2,000), a graduating senior at Northern High School.
- Rondy Le ($1,500), a graduating senior at Huntingtown High School.
- Malanie Stith ($1,500), a graduating senior at Chesapeake Math & IT Academy South Middle/High School.
- Nya Whitney ($1,500), a graduating senior at Maurice J. McDonough High School.