Four Hood Students awarded at Maryland Collegiate Honors Council conference

FREDERICK, Maryland— Hood College seniors Caylee M. Winpigler and Mikaili Robertson earned “Best Presentation” and “Best Poster” honors respectively at the 2021 Maryland Collegiate Honors Council conference.

Additionally, Maryam Iftikhar and Maria Elena Silva were also honored with the MCHC Outstanding Leadership Award.

Winpigler, who presented, “The Lloyd C. Culler Memorial Fountain and its Place in Baker Park,” was also named as a runner-up for the 2021 Portz Prize, awarded to the top honors student in Maryland.

“I was over the moon to hear that I was selected as the best presentation. It literally took my breath away and I teared up,” said Winpigler. “It was an honor, after a year of hard work, for my research to be recognized. Moreover, it was an invaluable memory for me to hold and cherish from my senior year at Hood College.”

Robertson’s poster, "Black Athletes and COVID-19: One More Challenge to Face?" was featured as part of a panel focused on structural racism. Robertson, as well as students from Frederick Community College and Montgomery College, presented research on topics such as the Black Lives Matter movement, racial discrimination within college athletics and the jury selection process.

"I had a great experience presenting at the MCHC Conference. I was given the platform to amplify the voices of black student-athletes and bring attention to issues within the black community that often go overlooked," said Robertson. "I was really excited when I found out I won best poster! There were so many amazing posters presented from some of the best students in the state of Maryland. I am very grateful to have received this honor!"

Robertson also presented “Implicit Bias in Contemporary American Society: Rushing to Judgment” as part of a student-lead panel.

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