Oleg Fastovsky Outstanding Citizen Scholarship

Our team has worked tirelessly to provide service to those in our community since the start of our firm. We work with individuals from all walks of life, each with a unique and palpable story to tell. The Outstanding Citizen Scholarship and Essay Contest aim to allow demonstrated community leaders and dedicated citizens to pursue education to inform and better their causes. We are proud to sponsor the discussion on good citizenship for the 7th year in a row. It truly means a lot to us to offer educational benefits to individuals who demonstrate outstanding citizenship. This essay contest and the $1,000 scholarship associated with it are open to individuals throughout the U.S. who are enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution during the 2025-2026 school year.

Eligibility

• All candidates must be currently enrolled or planning to enroll by Fall 2025 into an accredited post-secondary program, which includes community colleges, private or public undergraduate colleges and universities, private or public graduate degree programs, law programs, and business programs. A new winner will be selected if the essay contest winner cannot provide evidence of enrollment at the time of scholarship disbursement.
• Employees of Maryland Criminal Defense Group, their immediate families (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), and people living in the same households of such individuals (whether related or not) are not eligible to participate in the competition.
• Candidates for this scholarship should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good overall academic standing.
• All candidates must possess a proven commitment to citizenry, as demonstrated by their essay and resumé.

Application Requirements

• The candidate must fill out the form below with all necessary information
• The candidate must submit a 500-1,000 word essay response to the prompt: What is one of the most important ways an individual can serve their community, and how have you served your community in this way?
• Please note that all essays will be checked for AI writing. The application will be denied if AI writing is deemed present in the essay.
• The candidate must submit an updated resumé that includes academic, professional, and volunteer experiences focused on community service and citizenry.
• The candidate must submit a current official academic transcript that indicates that the candidate’s cumulative grade-point average is 3.0 or greater. (Note: applicants who cannot furnish an official transcript from their current institution may submit both an unofficial transcript from their current place of learning and an official transcript from the last school they attended.)
• Preference will be given to students either from or attending secondary school in the state.

The recipient of the Outstanding Citizen Scholarship will be chosen during the month following the scholarship deadline of September 30, 2025.