Fort Hill Sophomore Named One of Maryland’s Top 24 Emerging Scholars

Allegany County’s Briana Ciccarelli honored at 2026 Youth Congress Day in Annapolis

CUMBERLAND, Md. – Mar. 6, 2026 — Briana Ciccarelli, a 10th-grade student at Fort Hill High School, was selected for Maryland Business Roundtable for Education’s “The 24”— 24 students recognized as Maryland’s Emerging Scholars Class of 2026. Ciccarelli was recognized Feb. 24 at the 2026 Youth Congress Day held at the Governor Calvert House in Annapolis.

The award celebrates outstanding high school students who excel in academics, community service and leadership, with a special emphasis on STEM career interests and involvement in MBRT programs. Twenty-four honorees are chosen from a pool of more than 300 applicants.

Ciccarelli carries a 4.6 GPA and has logged more than 330 hours of community service. She is a member of the cross country, track & field and unified football teams at Fort Hill. Ciccarelli is actively involved in Sentinel Support and Unified Bocce Ball and serves as treasurer of the Fort Hill 4-H Club. She volunteers with the American Red Cross and at UPMC Western Maryland.

Looking ahead, Ciccarelli plans to pursue a career in neurosurgery, with Johns Hopkins University as her target institution. As a member of the Future Congress of Medical Leaders, she has mapped out the academic steps needed to achieve that goal.

Ciccarelli is enrolled in UBMS Math and Science, serves as a HOBY representative for her class and participates in MBRT programs as a Next Generation Scholar and Student Ambassador.

The 2026 Youth Congress Day also featured a mock legislative discussion and debate at the Governor Calvert House. The Emerging Scholars awards reception and presentation closed the program in the afternoon. Ciccarelli was accompanied to Annapolis by Tanya Gomer, the community school coordinator at Fort Hill.

About MBRT: Founded in 1992, the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education is a coalition of leading employers committed to supporting education reform and improving student achievement in Maryland. More at mbrt.org.

 Media Contact: Kris Kehrwald, Public Information Officer, 301-759-2031