Hagerstown Community College theater major Cassandra Booker is the first recipient of the newly endowed Grace Dull Memorial Scholarship.
The scholarship honors Grace Dull, who volunteered for more than 12 years in HCC’s Kepler Theater and managed the box office for 19 productions. The fund began in 2011 after her passing and, through the efforts of retired professor Mike Harsh, reached full endowment in 2024 with $25,000 raised. The scholarship supports students majoring in the performing arts, and recipients are selected by HCC faculty, according to a community announcement.
Booker said that the award provides both encouragement and much-needed financial relief.
“It is a great honor, and it helps me not have to worry about how I’m going to pay for my classes,” Booker said in the announcement. “Knowing that someone believes in me like this makes me really proud.”
Doug Dull, Grace’s son and donor representative, said that the scholarship reflects his mother’s lifelong love of young people and the arts.
“Our mother was happiest when she was around young people, watching them succeed,” Dull said in the announcement. “This is an outstanding legacy for her as it serves young people and helps them succeed. We very much thank HCC and Mike Harsh for giving us this opportunity to honor her memory in a meaningful way.”
Dull noted that the scholarship is also important to his brother, David, whose long connection to HCC includes serving as adjunct theater faculty member and directing numerous summer and fall productions.
“We hope that over time, this will be a meaningful opportunity for students who are trying to achieve their goals in the arts. To have our mother’s legacy honored in this way means a lot to our family,” Dull said in the announcement.
For more information about the Grace Dull Memorial Scholarship or other scholarship opportunities, visit https://hagerstowncc.academicworks.com/opportunities or contact the HCC Foundation Office at collegeadvancement@hagerstowncc.edu or 240-500-2348.
This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
