Christine Aggour is an administrator in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at University of Maryland's College Park campus. She has dedicated her time and talents to the USM Women's Forum for many years.

In the last few years, reductions in the state's University System budget brought about changes in the universities' priorities. For this reason, Ms. Aggour decided to provide small scholarships for returning students.

So many women do not attend or finish college because of financial constraints. Often these constraints are small - such as the cost of books, paying a babysitter, transportation/parking, and mandatory fees, etc. It is Ms Aggour's hope that the scholarships will assist a few more women in continuing their efforts towards a university degree.

"The degree is just a starting point for the rest of one's life, but a degree in any subject is proof that one is capable of more than may have been expected of them, and the person is up to the challenge."

The USM Women's Forum remains near and dear to Ms. Aggour's heart because she believes, "women still do not have equality in most aspects of our lives." Ms. Aggour was fortunate enough to have a supportive boss and served in many roles during her years with the Forum and today from the sidelines. As past chair, she worked with communications, newsletter and mailings, conference planning, administration, and fund raising.

Chris' greatest interest is reading. She also enjoys traveling, especially to the Canadian Rocky Mountains and genealogy. A Canadian-born, U.S. citizen, Chris is married with two adult children and a grand-dog. She holds a Bachelors degree in English and History from the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She resides in Maryland.