CSM Media Studies Student DaShawn Rustin Becomes ‘Dream Scholar;’ Earns Harvey Lincoln Student Scholarship

“This year’s winners are not only exceptional students but also leaders in their communities who are fiercely committed to lifting as they climb.”

College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Media Studies student DaShawn Rustin has earned the title of ‘Dream Scholar’ after being recognized by the Achieving the Dream (ATD) Network and earning the 2025’s Harvey Lincoln Student Scholarship.   

“This year’s winners are not only exceptional students but also leaders in their communities who are fiercely committed to lifting as they climb,” reported ATD when announcing the award Feb. 20. Rustin, along with fellow recipient Alessandra Simental of Odessa College, was awarded $3,000 each in recognition of their collegiate achievements.  

The Harvey Lincoln Student Scholarship recognizes students attending ATD Network colleges who are committed to furthering their education through significant educational, personal, and financial challenges. CSM joined the network in 2019 that today includes more than 300 colleges who work to ensure all students can access learning that propels them into rewarding careers.    

Rustin shared her deep gratitude for receiving the award.   

“As any student will tell you, scholarships are our bread and butter,” she shared. “I know firsthand what it’s like to stare at a bill knowing it can’t be paid. Being nominated as a Dream Scholar and for the Harvey Scholarship was a wonderful honor in itself. To be considered alongside other remarkable changemakers and scholars, such as my fellow winner Alessandra, to know that someone valued my journey enough to select me as a recipient, means so much.”  

After graduating high school, Rustin began her college career at Howard University, but was only able to attend for one year as financial constraints forced her to leave. She said she entered a period of instability, moving from one job to another, while seeking to improve herself through job skills and career prospects.   

Six years after leaving Howard, she enrolled with CSM and immediately began to excel.   

While at CSM, Rustin has become a positive force creating campus-wide collaborations. Last year, she won the CSM Hawk Pitch competition with her idea to create an alumni database to connect current, past, and potential future Hawks. The Dean’s List student also serves as a student ambassador, the SGA Representative of the La Plata Campus, and as a member of CSM’s Women of Excellence. Her other successes include being the Social Media Manager of CSM’s Athletics Department; becoming a Miller’s Leadership Academy Student Leader; a national 2024 Civic Season Fellow; and last year was named the winner of the National Institute for Staff and Organization Development Student Graphic Design Contest.  

On March 22, Rustin will be a session presenter at the WomenLead Conference to be held at CSM themed “Purpose Driven Mission: Move from Ideation to Action.” Rustin will serve on a panel with fellow CSM students Markala Pharr, Aniya Gaskins, and Rehoboth Mumuney to discuss ‘Own Your Space: Be the Example, Set the Standard.’  

“I’d love to continue developing a project and see it flourish,” she said. Along with CSM Women of Excellence Advisor and English Associate Professor Tamara Gibbs-Franklin and elected student board members Pharr, Gaskins, and Mumuney, Rustin has also helped to pioneer an annual conference at the college in conjunction with CSM’s Business and Accounting Club.   

Rustin said she could not have achieved these accomplishments without the unwavering steadfast support from her mother, LaWanna Rustin.   

“[Mom] is very active on campus, regularly accompanying me to awards ceremonies, banquets, and cross-campus activities,” Rustin said. “Though I’m not an only child, I’m the eldest and only daughter who has witnessed firsthand all the sacrifices she’s made as a single mother to ensure her children’s success – from early morning bus rides to working multiple jobs, and even currently homeschooling my autistic baby brother. Throughout my 27 years, she has been one of my best friends and has truly taught me perseverance, determination, and the power of community.”   

Rustin is set to graduate from CSM in May with an associate degree in Media Studies and a certificate in General Studies. She is also working to secure another certificate in Digital Media Management. Following graduation, she plans to transfer to the University of Maryland Global Campus to study Communications. She said she ultimately hopes to join a marketing position in the entertainment industry.