Welcome to the official home of the Montgomery Blair High School Alumni Association.
We hope the Blair Alumni Association website will become another place where you can go to relive the memories of three (or four) of what were some of the best years of your life.
We encourage you to visit all of the new parts of our website. You’ll be able to enjoy the many different ways that we pay tribute to the school we all loved, and discover how you can help us support the faculty and the students of today’s Montgomery Blair High School.
Among the features you’ll be able to enjoy as a member of the Blair Alumni Association are:
the Silver Chips archives
the Silverlogue archives
the Alumni News archives
our Scholarship Program section
the many articles we have about the history of Blair and Silver Spring,
links to the school website, Silver Chips online, and other related websites,
a list of class websites and social media outlets,
and news about what’s going on at today’s Blair.
If you are already a member of the Blair Alumni Association you will have access to all of the activities on this website. If you are a Blair graduate and not already a member of the Alumni Association, click here to sign up. Membership is FREE to Blair grads.
Please note that no information regarding any member of the alumni Association is available to anyone outside of official representatives of the school and reunion coordinators for each of the classes.
We encourage you to contact us at blairalumni@gmail.com to send us information, pictures, memories and articles that we can add to our site for the enjoyment of all the Blazers who will visit it.
Get on social media, your class Facebook page, etc., and let your classmates know it’s time join the Blair Alumni Association and keep the Blair Spirit alive for all Blair grads!
A Major Announcement from
Your Montgomery Blair High School
We are thrilled to announce that, effective immediately, your Alumni Association has established
its own 501(c)(3), not-for-profit educational and charitable organization. This will allow all
donations to the organization, known as the Montgomery Blair High School Alumni Association,
Inc., to be tax deductible under IRC Section170. Our EIN is 86-3127453.
.
What does this mean for members? It means that in addition to your annual individual voluntary
contributions to our 501(c)(3) being fully tax deductible, the Alumni Association can now accept
tax-deductible bequests, devises, transfers, or gifts. This is important because many of our alumni
told us they have funds they would like to contribute to the Alumni Association, but those funds are
in accounts that are limited to 501(c)(3) entities.
Montgomery Blair High School Alumni Association
Hall of Fame
Montgomery Blair High School Athletic
Hall of Fame
Help Us Keep This Great Tradition Growing By Placing Your Tile on the ALUMNI HALL Wall of Fame
The Wall of Honor was created to provide a way for the alumni’s support of Blair to be immortalized at the school. You can help us “build” our wall by purchasing a commemorative brick tile (described below) for yourself, your family, a family member who attended Blair, or perhaps to honor a Faculty Member at Blair who made an impact on your life. We are really encouraging classmates to get together and purchase a Class Tile, to show their collective support for Blair. All of the proceeds from the sale of Wall of Honor tiles will be used to support the school, either through our Scholarship Program or through our Special Projects Fund. To date, our Scholarship Program has provided tens of thousands of dollars to support the continuing education of graduating Blair Seniors. Our Special Projects Fund has provided the school with funding for numerous activities, including three commemorative editions of the Silver Chips; scorers” tables for the Athletic Department; sponsorship of the Graduation Venue Video Contest; contributions to the students’ Human Rights class campaign; and producing the 75th, 80th, and 85th anniversary events.
This newest Blair tradition got off to a great start in 2018, with over 100 tiles making up our initial placements. Since our Wall of Honor will be a permanent addition to the school, you can participate whenever you wish. We do we encourage you to purchase your tile as soon as possible if you wish it to be placed near your classmates who have already participated. We left a number of spots open just for that purpose.
Examples of the tile options for you, your family, and your class. These are suggested sizes – the choice is yours.
Individual Tiles – for yourself or to honor a family member or other graduate
Memorial Tiles – to honor a family member or Blair faculty member
Class Tiles – to show the ongoing appreciation of your Class for Blair’s history and traditions, and to support the future of the school through the Alumni Association’s Scholarship and Special Projects
For size options, pricing and to order your Individual, Class or Memorial tile, just go to http://www.bricksrus.com/donorsite/blairalumni
2024 Alumni Association Scholarship Recipients
2024 Blair Alumni Association Hall of Fame Scholarship Recipient
McKinley Jovanovich
GPA 4.0 Will attend the University of Maryland next year
“My Blair experience has been rich,” she says, “filled with service activities such as the National Honor Society program to help tutor fellow students. As part of the community service program I was involved with Project LIT, planning book drives and field trips for younger students. In addition to my Silverlogue work, I also was active in Blair Network Communications, the school’s news show.” ... Somehow, she managed to participate in cross country and track and field. Most surprising was her success (State Champion) a sport that is not usually associated with women – wrestling!
Cityana Mensi
GPA 3.95
Cityana Will attend the
Boston College
next year
“Crescens Scientia – To Expand Knowledge, is the motto of Blair that not many people know about, but it is deeply rooted within the traditions and culture of students and staff,” Cityana noted in her scholarship application. “My most memorable experience at Blair is the love for education and collaboration the students have. It is something you notice the moment you step inside the walls of Blair: students sitting against the walls, helping each other with schoolwork, teachers expanding students’ knowledge, and the myriad creative ideas sprouted through the clubs and initiatives started by students.” ...Cityana, a member of the National Science Honor Society, the Math Honor Society, and the Minority Scholars Program, says that the need for mental health awareness is one of her top concerns. She started a mental health club, Our Minds Matter, to address the issues students face at Blair and out in the Blair communities. “I’m grateful for the community’s effort to destigmatize mental health concerns,’ she says. “Students will be able to sprout into innovators and leaders as they move into the next stages of their lives.”
Alejandro Dubon
Attending the Davis &
Elkins University next
year
“The most important things I learned while at Blair had nothing to do with being on the soccer field for four years,” ...Alejandro says. “When I struggled with my homework my coach and teammates would help me with my assignments. We would study in the hall before every game. Everyone on the team would have their own work and also be working in groups on each other’s assignments, so each person could understand and do better on tests. Being on the team showed me how important my schoolwork was, and how my grades would be crucial to helping me fulfill my dream to continue playing soccer at the next level. I had always thought that my soccer skills alone could get me where I wanted, but my teammates opened my eyes.” “Alejandro truly became a leader and earned the title of Captain this year on our soccer team,” said his Coach, Allie Coyle. “He helped lead the team to a 10-2 record.”
Silvan Unger
4.0 GPA
Attending the
Wesleyan University next year
“The reason I love Blair is because of the diversity of the people, traditions, and ideas that permeate the school,” Silvan said. “The Alumni events and visits seem to reinforce Blair’s traditions. I helped with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and listened to the attendees describe Blair and their time here. They wanted to come back and revel in the Blair community again.” ...“Blair has given me so much I felt that it was only fair to give back,’ he noted. “Whether it was through student government, Blair Network Communications, Silver Chips Online, or athletics, I hope I have left a positive impact on the community.”
Alex Liu
Will attend Brown University
“Blair is a true kaleidoscope of different people, interests and ideas,” Alex wrote in his application. “Even in the 1960’s, when Blair had just recently integrated its classrooms, newspapers such as the Washington Star were using Blair as a model of integration. Since then, the addition of the Magnet Program reinforced the idea that Blair is a school for everyone in Montgomery County. Blair is not only the most diverse school in the state but also crucially contains a diversity of opinions, beliefs, experiences, and ideas.”...“My journey at Blair has been fueled by a desire to strengthen the threads that bind this community, fostering leadership, open communications, and creative expression,” Alex continued. “I tried to make sure that not only my voice was included, but also to be sure to accurately represent other voices.”
Linda Huang
Linda will attend Johns
Hopkins University
next year
“At Blair, I recognized the tendency for Magnet students to dominate the STEM clubs, so non-Magnet students were not exposed to all the resources available to them in these disciplines. I visited many non-Magnet classrooms and introduced students to our mission of inclusivity while creating health- focused learning and a collaborative environment. I also set up booths in the hallways after class to make our STEM clubs and the STEM accessible to anyone who wanted to participate.” ...““I am grateful to be part of the mission to expand diversity in STEM,” Linda says, “and I have met some of my dearest friends along the way. In college I want to belong to a community of people where we appreciate and celebrate each other’s differences.”
Hanan Miles Hanan will attend the University of Maryland Baltimore County next year.
“By attending Blair, I have had the privilege of having a more diverse education than many,” Hanan says. “I have been able to find people of my own culture, as well as learning about many others. I was also able to take a variety of courses that benefit me in unique ways.” ...“I believe everyone should receive quality health care regardless of their ability to pay,” she continued. “As a person with dwarfism, I have been in the hospital more than most of my peers. I was lucky my parents could worry about me recovering from surgery rather than how they would pay the hospital bills. In my future career I want to acknowledge issues of unequal care and work with underserved women and minorities.” “My education on social issues comes from Blair. By working alongside such a diverse group of people, I have learned about the struggles many of them face. I want to help others by using the lessons I learned at Blair.”
Nathan “Teddy” Charles Teddy will be attending UMBC next yea
“I feel that I contributed to the Blair experience in many ways, “Many of the clubs in which I was a member worked to help students in pursuit of STEM-related studies. This included introducing students to STEM or simply helping with other school-related questions.” ...“Blair is rich with history and tradition. The tradition of always being a community school is great to be a part of. I am proud of our celebrity graduates, such as Goldie Hawn, Ben Stein, Chick Hernandez, and David Vanterpool. My father is also a Blair graduate, so I am very proud of my own history. Our academic, public service, arts, and athletic programs continue to be among the best in the country, and I am proud to have been a part of this community.”
Montgomery Blair High School Alumni Association
2023 ANNUAL REPORT
HISTORIC SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
Thanks, in part, to an expanded Named Scholarship Program (see below), seven Blair seniors were the recipients of more than $60,000.00 in 2023 scholarships. These students are now attending the schools of their choice, including the University of Maryland, Hamilton College, the University of Delaware, Johns Hopkins University, and Penn State. Here is how one recipient described the impact of her scholarship.
“I am honored to be the recipient of the first E. Tony Wilson Scholarship. This generous contribution has covered expenses that will allow me to focus better on my education at the University of Maryland. Without this scholarship, I would have put more financial burdens on myself, not allowing me to be able to focus on my education entirely. Attending the University of Maryland will help me better understand and create actionable solutions to help reduce the socioeconomic disparities many disenfranchised immigrants experience in the United States. I am beyond grateful to have been awarded this scholarship. I am very fond of the way the Alumni Association continuously helps Blair seniors have the opportunity to further their education and have the support to fulfill their pursuits.”
Named Scholarship Program
2023 also saw an increase in the number of Named Scholarships awarded through the Alumni Association. These scholarships, all with an award level of at least $5,000.00, are funded by Blair graduates (or groups of Blair graduates) who want to show their gratitude to our school for the quality and excellence of their Blair experience, and/or to honor a Blair graduate. In 2023 these NamedScholarships included:
SPECIAL PROJECTS PROGRAM
The third year of our Stickley-Stant Faculty Service Award recognized two faculty members who have given outstanding service to the school. The award recipients are selected by a panel of their fellow faculty members. This year’s recipients were Administrative Assistant Claudine Biggs and Science Teacher Leslie Blaha.
Other Faculty and School and Activities Support
We continued our ongoing support of the Silver Chips and other school programs and student activities.Named scholarships; memorial scholarships; group scholarships, etc.
Special Projects
In addition to our annual Stickley-Stant recognition awards, the Alumni Association also tried to show its support for Blair’s faculty throughout the year by contributing to the Faculty Recognition ceremony and the holiday celebration. Of course, our ALUMNI HALL Wall of Honor grew again, as Blair graduates continue to honor their family members, their Blair teachers, and their favorite teachers from their Blair experiences.
