The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) is pleased to announce the winners for each of the three scholarships sponsored by the Board. Scholarships will allow winners to attend one of four to five premier national genealogical institutes in 2025. Each scholarship will cover up to $1,700 of institute tuition, travel, and lodging expenses. BCG will also waive its final application fee of $300 for scholarship recipients who submit portfolios of work to be considered for certification within three years of the announcement of an award.
The Paul E. Sluby Sr. African American Scholarship 2024 winners are:
Christopher K. P. Brown (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Mr. Brown is a graduate of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, with a degree in African American Studies. His research has focused on Georgia and other states, including Delaware, and has been conducted at the Schomburg Center in New York City and at the Library of Virginia, as well as online. He feels institute attendance would strengthen his documentation and writing skills.
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Monique Slaughter (Verbank, New York)
Ms. Slaughter is particularly interested in genealogical research in the former Danish Virgin Islands, including enslaved and free ancestors as early as the eighteenth century. She believes that attending an institute and obtaining the Certified Genealogist credential will be a pivotal step in acquiring advanced skills useful in Caribbean research.
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Yvette LaGonterie (Washington, DC)
Ms. LaGonterie has researched African American, Caribbean, and European families for more than twenty years. One focus of her research has been enslaved families in Washington, DC. She is a frequent speaker. Her talk, "Enslaved at the Georgetown Hotel," draws from a wide variety of District of Columbia sources. She believes that becoming a board-certified genealogist will prepare her to accurately document ancestral connections and communities. She is retired from a long career in the federal government.
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The Scholarship for Genealogists Under 40 has been awarded to: Eli Kirshner (Washington, DC)
Eli submitted a research report to identify any documentary evidence to support the family’s oral history about parentage of a woman said to be the daughter of a formerly enslaved woman and her former enslaver in North Carolina. Eli has a BA degree in history from Oberlin College. He has not yet had the opportunity to attend an institute. Eli has offered classes and workshops about genealogical research for students at Oberlin College and a community organization. He is actively involved in several genealogy and history organizations. His goal is to tell “the truth of U.S. history as a step towards creating lasting change.”
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The Scholarship to BCG Preliminary Applicants has been awarded to: Jason Ross (Jefferson City, Missouri).
Jason submitted a one-generation kinship project using historical context, land records, and ArcGIS to locate the burial location of the father. Jason is a retired Air Force officer who has taught at the Air Force Academy, American Military University, and at the University of Missouri – Columbia. He introduced an eight-week genealogy course for his current employer and volunteers on the Genealogy Committee for the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Jason has not yet had the opportunity to participate in an institute course. He hopes to contribute to the body of genealogical works by expanding current published genealogies and writing new which meet quality genealogical standards.
"BCG is pleased to provide an opportunity to further the educational advancement of these individuals in the field of genealogy with the goal of putting them on the path towards certification," said President Faye Jenkins Stallings, CG®. "Thank you to all applicants who expressed interest in furthering their genealogical education. BCG would welcome a submission from you next year for 2025 scholarships."