2023 SCHOLARSHIP WINNER By John Carter

Madison Kaitlin Kerr  is a graduating senior from Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, Virginia. She is the daughter of Susan Kerr. Madison demonstrated a high level of academic achievement through her four years of high school. Taking advanced coursework, including Advanced Placement courses, she has earned a cumulative grade point average of 4.114, on a 4.0 scale. Madison is a member of the National History Honor Society, the National Honor Society, and the National Art Society; she served as President of all three organizations. She is a member of International Thespians and is the President of the Speech and Forensics teams, where she collected honors for Third Place in Forensics State, Second Place Super Regionals for Speech and Debate, First Place Regionals for Speech and Debate, and Fourth Place Debate Regionals. Madison is also a member of the Key Club, the captain of the marching band color guard, plays varsity tennis, and is a member of the Chamber Orchestra. Madison served as a leader in the Girl Scouts, where she won the Girl Scout Gold Award and the Girl Scout Silver Award. Other awards include the Congressional Award, Presidential Award (Gold), and the Academic Award 2019-2022.

Madison had a personal tutor throughout high school. Her tutor described her as “a woman of integrity who is committed to honesty ... one who genuinely models integrity for her peers. Ms. Kerr has a compassionate heart for serving her community and helps those in need ... she embodies the spirit of volunteerism and service. I have noted her eager commitment to history and her inquisitive mind and her curious attitude to understand diverse views of history ... she uses history to draw conclusions and applications for society today.”

She will be attending Virginia Tech in the fall, with a major in computer science. While her major may seem to be an illogical choice, considering her commitment to history, it fits perfectly into her future plans. In her scholarship application, Madison stated “in the future I plan to use my degree in computer science to create material to make learning and teaching history easier. Providing technology that tells the stories of those who are not well remembered is my goal.” During her interview with the committee, she constantly referred to the many “rabbit holes” that defined her research into new areas that she encountered while researching a different topic. This can be seen in her admonishment to her fellow students to be aware of your environment; to know what is going on around you.

Madison’s essay was titled “Maj. Mosby’s Fairfax Court House Raid: Success Based on a Woman’s Help.” Accurately relating the story of Mosby’s most well-known raid, she turned most of her attention to Antonia Ford, the Mosby, J.E.B. Stuart confidante and spy. She tackles the issue of whether Antonia was actually a spy who provided information to Mosby for the raid. The essay and her subsequent interview with the committee clearly demonstrated her basic tenets for the use of history. In the closing sentence of her essay, Madison makes this point: “As a Black woman, I advocate for the importance of remembering all who participated regardless of race, gender or loyalty, to learn from the past and improve the future.” For Madison, history is not to be used to establish right or wrong, but to be used as a blueprint to the future.

Madison’s academic excellence, activities, leadership positions, and her many awards look great on paper. She is a great communicator. Meeting her and speaking with her, even for a short time, makes you aware that she possesses a lot more than “book smarts.” She knows how to use information, how to get people involved in its use, and how to improve the way to collect and disseminate information. Her commitment to the inclusion of the many diverse groups who are often left out of traditional history shines through in discussions with her. At the end of the interview, all applicants are asked if they have any questions for the Committee. Madison had several, but her last question was unexpected. She asked: what could she do to help the Roundtable?

This is the eleventh year that the Bull Run Civil War Round Table has a awarded a scholarship. The first winner was Taylor McConnell from West Springfield High School in 2002. Last year’s winner was Aaryan Karan Rawai from Westfield High School. Applicants submitted official high school transcripts which showed their courses, grades, the level of those courses, and their cumulative grade point averages. They also submitted a description of their high school extra-curricular activities, their leadership roles, and any awards and honors they have received. A historical essay of their choice was required, along with an adult’s recommendation. We received seven completed applications for the scholarship, and after careful consideration, two candidates were selected for interviews via Zoom. The winner was then referred to the Executive Committee for their approval. Members of the Scholarship Committee include the chairman, John Carter, Mark Knowles, Kate Bitely, and Mike Block. Committee members were unanimous in their selection of two finalists to be interviewed. Going into the interview, all four committee members had both candidates evenly ranked. Committee members agreed that the interview was the determining factor in Madison’s selection for the scholarship. We look forward to seeing how she will help the Bull Run Civil War Round Table as our latest ambassador.