St. Mary's County Commission on Women Gives Generously to Jane Hale Sypher Scholarship During Annual Brunch

The St. Mary’s County Commission for Women presented the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) with more than $2,000 for the Jane Hale Sypher Scholarship at its 2025 Women’s History Month brunch last weekend. During the March 29 event held at The White Rose in Callaway, the commission also recognized and celebrated 14 local women for their collective strength and influence in education, mentorship, and leadership – calling out each for inspiring generations past and present.

The commission established the Jane Hale Sypher Scholarship at CSM to provide annual scholarships to adult learners from St. Mary’s County – preferably displaced homemakers and/or single parents. Sypher retired from CSM in 2004 after 30 years of work in both the public school system and CSM, and she continues to actively volunteer in the community. 

“Today … we honor the life and continuing legacy of [an] inspirational woman - former CSM dean and community activist Jane Hale Sypher,” shared CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson, who served as the keynote speaker at the event. “As [former] CSM dean, Miss Jane oversaw not only the growth of the student population and size of the Leonardtown Campus but also the growth in prominence of our beloved college within the community.”

Wilson went on to explain that Sypher, a life-long resident of St. Mary’s County, began her career in secondary education as a teacher at Great Mills High School, where she also held positions as career education coordinator and assistant principal. She was acting principal at Leonardtown High School before being named assistant dean and then dean of CSM’s Leonardtown Campus beginning in 1992. She served as the first female president of Lexington Park Rotary, board member for St. Mary’s Hospital and was a one-time St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival King!

"As CSM dean," Wilson said, "Miss Jane oversaw not only the growth of the student population and size of the Leonardtown Campus but also the growth in prominence of our beloved college within the community. She retired from CSM in 2004 after 30 years of work in both the public school system and CSM and she continues to actively volunteer in our community.  And I am so grateful that the St. Mary’s County Commission for Women established the Jane Hale Sypher Scholarship at CSM to provide annual scholarships to adult students from St. Mary’s County – preferably displaced homemakers and/or single parents. All proceeds from today’s brunch will go toward that scholarship."

To learn more about the College of Southern Maryland, please visit csmd.edu