Arnold Student Wins Carson Scholarship

Eli Pereira is a Boy Scout, an honor roll student and a philanthropist.

The Magothy River Middle School (MRMS) eighth-grader can now add Carson Scholarship winner to the list.

After missing the deadline last year, Eli was determined not to let procrastination get the best of him this time around. He worked on his application until the literal 11th hour, thinking, “I am not going to let this get by me this year,” he said.

Several weeks later, Eli joined his two friends, who were also nominated for the award, via Facetime to open their letters.

“I ran outside and started jumping on my trampoline for like 15 minutes, just jumping up and down,” Eli said of his reaction to reading that he’d won.

To qualify for the Carson Scholarship, which awards $1,000 toward secondary education to students in grades four through 11, applicants must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.75 and demonstrate humanitarian qualities through community service.

In addition to an essay and a log of his community service and extra- curricular activities, the application process included letters of recommendation from teachers, something Eli had no problem obtaining.

“Overall, he’s a student who’s going to make a big impact in our world when he gets older,” said Jennifer Murphy, who teaches health and physical education at MRMS. “I’m going to miss having him next year.”

At school, Eli is involved in National Junior Honor Society, robotics and the school orchestra, where he just earned the placement of first violin. Recently, a documentary that he and a classmate produced for the National History Day contest qualified for the state competition.

In his free time, Eli is an aspiring Eagle Scout, and has been running his own charity fishing tournament benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation for three years. He hopes to eventually expand the event to multiple locations, and he is working on building an independent website for it.

“Everybody always asks me, ‘What do you do to produce this?’” said Eli’s mom, Anna Pereira, of her son’s many endeavors and successes. “All credit goes to this child. He comes up with all this. We just facilitate.”

His teacher explained that it’s more than his grades and countless activities that set Eli apart.

“When he’s in the hallway, he always says hello and asks me how my day’s going,” Murphy said. “He’s an amazing kid right now, and he’s going to make the world a better place.”

The future Broadneck Bruin doesn’t know where he wants to attend college just yet, but he hopes to study business and also attend a trade school.

The Carson Scholars Fund Inc. was founded by retired Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Ben Carson and his wife, Candy. Eli was one of 570 new winners nationwide. Other area students who were named Recognized Scholars for the award this year after winning previously are Natalie Niles, Rebecca Sawyer and Olivia West – all of Broadneck High School.