Photo by Emily Paine, THE?LINK Marketing & Communications.
Jerimaha McClain ’26 used the insights he gained in his Bucknell management classes as a global operations intern at Krispy Kreme.
Seizing Opportunities
Bowie Student Jerimaha McClain Utilizes Bucknell Univ. Education for Global Ops Internship at Krispy Kreme
By PRESS OFFICER
Bucknell University
LEWISBURG, Pa. (Aug. 26, 2024)— Jerimaha McClain ’26 signed up for the Pre-Orientation program, Taste Tech and Teamwork in Charlotte, N.C., because it sounded like a fun opportunity to visit a new city and meet new friends ahead of the start of his first semester at Bucknell. He didn’t anticipate that he’d be returning to Charlotte as a full-time, paid intern—thanks to the Bucknell connection.
The Taste, Tech, and Teamwork Pre-O is unique because it doesn’t take place on Bucknell’s campus. Participants travel to and stay in another city (the 2024 destination is Pittsburgh), meet alumni business leaders, tour local food establishments, and connect with other incoming first-years—all free of cost.
“I think the whole opportunity to network and start your professional career as a student before even starting the school year is huge,” McClain says. The management and organizations major applied to become a Taste, Tech and Teamwork student leader before the start of his second year, with the goal of helping to facilitate a positive experience for the next class of incoming first-year students.
Both years, McClain visited the Krispy Kreme headquarters and listened to a presentation from chief brand officer Dave Skena ’92. Months later, McClain reached out to Skena to inquire about internship opportunities at Krispy Kreme. Skena put in a personal recommendation for him with the company’s internship program. “He took a bet on referring me to the program solely because of where I go to school,” the Bowie, Md., native says. “The reason I got the opportunity to intern in Charlotte is because of the Bucknell network.”
As a global operations intern at Krispy Kreme, McClain was able to experience what it’s like to work at a global corporation operating in over 40 countries. McClain learned about shop design, improving training systems, setting global shop standards, managing limited-time offer (LTO) processes and ingredient orders across all U.S. locations. At the end of the experience, he designed and presented an LTO to company executives.
“There’s so many moving parts that go into an LTO,” he says. “You have the marketing and advertising, the operations of understanding what’s needed to make the special doughnuts, the packaging sourcing, the places that it’s going.”
He says he’s seeing his Bucknell education in action. “There’s a lot of stuff that I learned in that class this past spring that I’m learning about and applying to what I’m seeing while working,” he says.
At Bucknell, McClain serves as a member of the Freeman College of Management Student Advisory Board, a representative student group that develops community-building initiatives within the Freeman College, which he says has helped him develop people skills. “I get a lot of practice talking to people and networking, which has helped me become better at communicating and leading conversations,” he says. “In my past two years at Bucknell, I feel like I’ve grown so much because of the atmosphere at school.
“A Bucknell education is just amazing in terms of preparing you for the world, preparing you for work, preparing you for anything.”
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PGCPS Elementary School Math Shines in 2024 State Assessment Results
By PRESS OFFICER
Prince George’s County Public Schools
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (Aug. 28, 2024)—Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) students showed modest gains on the 2023–2024 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), with nearly a third of schools improving by two percentage points or more in English Language Arts (ELA) and/or mathematics, including 35 schools with at least a five percentage point improvement.
In ELA, fifth grade students made gains. Additionally, students moving from fifth to sixth grade saw a substantial 22.3% increase in proficiency, while students advancing from third to fourth grade showed slight gains.
In mathematics, students saw improvements from SY23 to SY24 in grades 3, 4, 5 as well as Algebra I. The cohort of students who moved from seventh to eighth grade saw a 47.1% increase in the proficiency rate, while those transitioning from sixth to seventh grade experienced an increase of 22.6%.
“Elementary school math proficiency is a critical indicator of future success,” said Superintendent Millard House II. “The progress we’ve seen this year is a testament to the dedication of our teachers and the effectiveness of targeted interventions, especially in the early grades. We remain focused on providing resources and targeted strategies to address gaps and work toward continued growth districtwide.”
Maryland’s overall assessment results showed modest increases, with ELA proficiency rising from 47.9% to 48.4%, and mathematics improving from 23.3% to 24.1%.
In PGCPS, students with disabilities and Multilingual learners made strides in both ELA and mathematics across various grades. Students with disabilities made progress in ELA (grades 4 and 7) and mathematics (grades 4, 7 and 8), while multilingual learners showed improvement in mathematics (grades 3, 7, 8, and Algebra I).
The 2023–2024 school year marked the third full administration of the ELA and mathematics state assessments after a shortened test for the 2021–2022 school year. No assessment was administered in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given annually to third through eighth graders as well as once to high schoolers, the MCAP ELA and mathematics tests provide a statewide snapshot of the academic progress of Maryland public school students.
2024 statewide, school system and school-level data will be published on the Maryland Report Card website in early September.
Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), one of the nation’s 20th largest school districts, has 201 schools and centers, more than 133,000 students and nearly 20,000 employees. The school system serves a diverse student population from urban, suburban and rural communities
located in the Washington, DC suburbs. PGCPS is nationally recognized for college and career-readiness programs that provide students with unique learning opportunities, including dual enrollment and language immersion.
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Local Student Selected by The National Alliance for 2024–25 Cohort of Rising Leaders
Ten students will receive training from experts in civic participation, education advocacy, leadership development, and public speaking
By PRESS OFFICER
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Jordan Heath, a 12th grade student at College Park Academy in Riverdale, Maryland, is one of the ten students in the third cohort of Rising Leaders, a program led by The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools to develop students’ leadership and advocacy skills with training from policy professionals.
The Rising Leaders Initiative is a one-year training program that deepens students' knowledge of civic engagement, advocacy, and coalition building while developing skills in leadership and public speaking. More than one hundred students applied to this program, and the ten selected have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to service, scholarship, and leadership to improve their school community.
The Rising Leaders Initiative gives students real-world opportunities to practice advocacy. As part of the program, students will create and lead an advocacy club at their school to educate and raise awareness about public charter schools in their local community, and have the opportunity to advocate to local and state legislators about the importance of high-quality, public education.
“We are honored to welcome these ten outstanding students to the program,” says Starlee Coleman, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “These students have strength, passion, and determination to offer to this movement, and we’re excited to see what the future has in store for them.”
“We are so impressed with this group of students and what they’ve already accomplished,” says Sindy Pierre-Noel, Director of Programs at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, who leads the Rising Leaders Initiative. “The Rising Leaders Initiative is proud to nurture what each of them already possesses—a commitment to influencing educational progress in public schools, championing student’s rights, and forging a path toward a better future.”
“As a participant in the Rising Leaders Initiative, I am eager to develop the skills to advocate for and represent the interests of students in my community. Through this program, I aim to promote a mindset within my school and the broader community that no dream is unattainable and that we can thrive in an excellent educational environment like College Park Academy. I also want to ensure that other students can attend a high-quality public charter school like mine,” says 2024–2025 Rising Leader Jordan Heath.
About Public Charter Schools: Public charter schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 2010, many research studies have found that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional school peers. For example, one study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that charter schools do a better job teaching students from low-income families, students of color, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. Visit www.publiccharters.org.
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M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Board and Department Announce September 2024 Events and Meetings
By CALISTA BLACK
M-NCPPC
LARGO, Md. (Aug. 30, 2024)—The Prince George’s County Planning Board and the Prince George’s County Planning Department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) announce their upcoming public events and meetings for September 2024. For more details, review the list of events and meetings below or visit www.pgplanningboard.org and www.pgplanning.org. Events and meetings are subject to change.
Prince George’s County Planning Board Meetings
Thursday, September 12 | 10 a.m.
Thursday, September 19 | 10 a.m.
Thursday, September 26 | 10 a.m.
The Prince George’s County Planning Board meets virtually on Thursdays to consider planning, zoning, subdivision, and other matters within its jurisdiction. The meetings may be viewed via live streaming video. Public participation is encouraged either through a phone bridge or by using GoTo Meeting. Everyone who wishes to speak at the Planning Board meeting must register online by Noon on the Tuesday, two days prior to the Planning Board meeting. Written comments, documents, and exhibits must be received via email, fax, or mail by Noon on the Tuesday before the Planning Board meeting to be included in the record. For more details, visit: www.pgplanningboard.org
Subdivision and Development Review Committee Meeting
Friday, September 13 | 9:30 a.m.
Friday, September 27 | 9:30 a.m.
Subdivision and Development Review Committee (SDRC) is a coordination and interagency meeting early in the development review process with the applicant and M-NCPPC staff, where the public can be invited to virtually view the meeting only. The meetings are held virtually and may be viewed via live streaming video. The agendas are posted online.
Joint Public Hearing – (68-010-95) Mount Hermon Masonic Temple, Hyattsville, MD 20781 and (66-030-01) Maiatico House, 6911 Wells Parkway, Hyattsville, MD 20782
Tuesday, September 10 | 6 p.m.
The Prince George's County Council, sitting as the District Council, and the Prince George’s County Planning Board of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission will hold an in-person Joint Public Hearing on the (68-010-95) Mount Hermon Masonic Temple, Hyattsville, MD 20781 and (66-030-01) Maiatico House, 6911 Wells Parkway, Hyattsville, MD 20782 at the Wayne K. Curry Administration Building, 1st Floor Council Hearing Room, 1301 McCormick Drive, Largo, MD 20774. The meeting may be viewed via live streaming video at https://pgccouncil.us/LIVE. To register to speak or submit comments or written testimony, please use the Council’s eComment portal at: https://pgccouncil.us/Speak. For those unable to use the portal, comments/written correspondence may be emailed to: clerkofthecouncil@co.pg.md.us or faxed to (301) 952-5178.
Prince George’s County Planning Board Annual Budget Forum
Wednesday, September 25 | 7 p.m.
6600 Kenilworth Avenue, Riverdale, MD 20737
The Prince George’s County Planning Board will hold a 2024 Budget Forum to solicit comments on the M-NCPPC budget for planning, parks, and recreation in Prince George’s County for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2025. The in-person meeting will take place in the auditorium at the Department of Parks and Recreation Administration Building. Individuals who wish to speak are encouraged to register in advance by Noon, the day before the forum. Written comments will also be accepted until close of business, Wednesday, October 16, 2024, by mail, fax, or email. For more details, visit: www.pgplanningboard.org
The Active Transportation Advisory Group Meeting
Monday, September 9 | 7 p.m.
The Active Transportation Advisory Group holds virtual quarterly meetings to discuss general issues impacting bicycle, pedestrian, and share use paths in Prince George’s County. Attendees are encouraged to register in advance.
Brown Bag Lunch Series: Omnibus Zoning Bill Next Steps
Tuesday, September 10 | noon–1 p.m.
1616 McCormick Drive, Largo, MD 20774
The Prince George’s County Planning Department will host a monthly Brown Bag Series covering various Development Review topics at M-NCPPC Largo Headquarters. The session on September 10, 2024, will cover the next steps in the Omnibus Zoning Bill. Register at least a week in advance at https://pgplan.org/brownbag
“Play on the Pike” Placemaking Event
Saturday, September 14 | noon – 4 p.m.
6423A Marlboro Pike, District Heights, MD 20747
The M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Department will join the Marlboro Pike Partnership for a creative placemaking demonstration on Saturday, September 14, 2024, from
noon to 4 p.m. at the St. Paul Towne Centre. Through virtual reality, residents and visitors can experience the future of Marlboro Pike. For more information and to register, visit https://marlboropikepartnership.org
Central US 1 Neighborhood Compatibility Study Community Workshops
Tuesday, September 17 | 6 p.m.
Thursday, September 19 | 6 p.m.
9618 Autoville Drive, College Park, MD 20740
The M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Department will hold two community workshops on the Central US 1 Neighborhood Compatibility Study on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, and Thursday, September 19, 2024, at the Chinese Bible College. Planners will share information about the study with community members, share a survey, discuss challenges and opportunities for future development in the study area, and gather input from the community to shape a comprehensive vision for the study area.
Prince George’s County Historic Preservation Commission
Tuesday, September 17 | 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by the Prince George’s County Planning Department, the Prince George’s County Historic Preservation Commission meeting will be held virtually on the third Tuesday of the month. For meeting details, visit https://www.pgplanning.org/countywide-planning/historic-preservation or call 301-952-3680, or email HistoricPreservation@ppd.mncppc.org.
M-NCPPC Full Commission Meeting
Wednesday, September 18 | 10 a.m.
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission will hold its Full Commission meeting in a hybrid format from the M-NCPPC Parks and Recreation Administration Building in Riverdale and via video conference. Agenda packets will be available online.
Assistance
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission encourages the participation of persons with disabilities in all its programs and services. Register at least a minimum of two weeks in advance of the program start date to request and receive a disability accommodation. Call the Public Affairs Office at 301-952-3038, email PublicAffairs@ppd.mncppc.org, or complete the online form.
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