Sep

Taking the Smithsonian’s mission out of the museums and into the community

The Office of Protection Services not only works to ensure the safety of the Smithsonian’s staff, visitors and collections, its officers strive to support our community as volunteers and mentors. During the 2019-2020 school year, Terrell Wilson, district manager, OPS Operations, served as a mentor for three Washington, D.C.-area high-school students through the Urban Alliance program.

Urban Alliance is a national youth development nonprofit that provides students with the exposure, opportunity, support, and training needed to prepare them for lifelong economic self-sufficiency. Urban Alliance’s high school Internship Program is an intensive early work experience for high school seniors that includes a nine-month, paid, professional internship; weeks of pre-work professional development training; weekly job and life skills workshops; post-high school planning assistance; mentoring from two caring adults; and lifelong post-high school support.

Since 1996, Urban Alliance has served 18,487 young people across Washington, D.C., including 2,258 unique youth served through the High School Internship Program.

The Office of Protection Services hosted these three remarkable young people from October 2019 until the pandemic limited their ability to report on-site and Wilson continues to serve as a mentor as they take the next steps in their education.

Bryanna Gross

Bryanna Gross, Class of 2020

Bryanna graduated from Eastern High School in Washington, D.C. with a GPA of 4.23 and will be attending Trinity Washington University in D.C. this fall. Bryanna will apply the $30,000 in scholarship money she has earned toward her Bachelor of Science degree in forensic science.

Clyde Ngwa

Clyde Ngwa, Class of 2020

Clyde is a recent graduate of the historic Paul E. Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., earning a 4.3 GPA. Clyde has accrued $45,000 in scholarships, which will be applied towards his education in biology and pre-medicine at Albright College in Pennsylvania.

Isaac Woody

Isaac Woody, Class of 2020

Isaac is a graduate of Suitland High School, in in Suitland Maryland, where he earned a 3.6 GPA. This fall, Isaac will attend Mount Saint Mary University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, on a $100,000 scholarship in pursuit of his degree in environmental science.

Congratulations to Bryanna, Clyde, and Isaac and to Terrell Wilson and the Office of Protection Services.