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Victor Aigbedion, a Glen Burnie High School student who is dually enrolled at Anne Arundel Community College, today became the first high school student ever to be named a DREAM Scholar by the Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as engines of opportunity, belonging and economic mobility.
Aigbedion, an immigrant from Nigeria, is one of eight 2026 DREAM Scholars from across the United States and South Africa. In addition to classes at Glen Burnie High School, Victor has taken classes at AACC since 2024 as part of the dual enrollment college program made possible by the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. He is completing his fifth and sixth AACC classes this spring.
“Being an immigrant, coming from a foreign country and learning how to adapt to all the cultural and societal norms here wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.” said Aigbedion, who is a member of Glen Burnie’s AVID and Public Service Signature programs. “It gave me a panoramic perspective and taught me how to establish myself in every room I walk into. I see this as not only an award for myself, but an opportunity to inspire other students like me, who feel like they don’t have a voice and to show them that leadership and success are not tied to a single background or skin color.”
“Victor is a tremendous example of what happens when dual-enrolled students take full advantage of the opportunities at AACC,” said AACC President Dr. Dawn Lindsay. “Through our partnership with Anne Arundel County Public Schools, students like Victor are able to earn college credentials and build confidence in their future. We are incredibly proud of his achievement.”
Said Anne Arundel County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell: “Anne Arundel Community College continues to be one of the premier two-year institutions in the United States and we are very proud that programs like the Blueprint allow for our students to maximize opportunities that exist at AACC.”
At AACC, Aigbedion is the outreach director of the Ambassadors Campus Team and was a 2025 convocation student speaker. He was also awarded the Anne Arundel County NAACP Freedom Fund Award in November.
Aigbedion and his family came to the United States when he was in fourth grade. He attended various schools in Prince George’s County before attending Lindale Middle School in seventh and eighth grades and North County High School in ninth and 10th grades. As a result of redistricting, he shifted to Glen Burnie in 11th grade.
“I saw coming to Glen Burnie as an opportunity to rebuild, rediscover and redefine myself,” said Aigbedion, who is president of the school’s chapter of the National Math Honor Society, treasurer of the Science National Honor Society, and a member of Rho Kappa, the Social Studies Honor Society. He is also a member of the school’s Black Student Union.
Aigbedion said the opportunities he has had in AACPS and at AACC have prepared him well for his next step. After graduating this spring with his high school diploma and a certificate in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice from AACC, Aigbedion plans to attend George Washington University, where he hopes to major in political science and one day shape policies that strengthen opportunities for underrepresented communities.
“AACC has been more than just a college to me, it’s been a catalyst,” Aigbedion said during his convocation address to AACC faculty and staff. “Through workshops, mentorship and campus life, I’ve grown into not only a better student but a better leader.”
This year’s DREAM Scholars will participate in an immersive leadership and learning experience at ATD’s annual conference in Portland, Ore., next month. The conference is designed to elevate student voice and deepen engagement with community college leaders from across the country and beyond.
Also at the conference, Aigbedion and the other DREAM scholars will give presentations about their journeys and feelings on the supports today’s students need to thrive. The DREAM scholars also will each receive a scholarship to support their educational or personal journey.
“Today we elevate not only Victor’s extraordinary achievement, but the power of opportunity and hard work that define Glen Burnie High School,” Glen Burnie High School Principal Kevin Carr said. “We celebrate his commitment to excellence, which inspires our entire GB community. Victor’s recognition as a DREAM Scholar reflects what is possible when students are supported and empowered to reach their full potential.”
Aigbedion views this as more than just an opportunity. It’s a chance to make an impact.
“I see this as an opportunity to reach out to youth,” he said. “It’s a platform to speak out to them and tell them that anything is possible, because it is. We should strive for a world where success, especially for those from overlooked backgrounds, is not the exception but the expectation.”
The other 2026 DREAM Scholars are: