Each year the Bernie Scholarship award program includes recognition of Montgomery County citizens who are models for the scholarship recipients. Past awards include:
- 2010 Frankie Blackburn Founder and Executive Director of IMPACT Silver Spring
- 2009 Clarence Arthur Eubanks, co-founder and dedicated volunteer at the George B.Thomas Sr. Learning Academy
- 2008 Kathy Dougherty, (dec) Former Director of Social Programming, Edgewood Management
- 2007 Isiah "Ike" Leggett, Montgomery County Executive
- 2006 Dr Stewart Edelstein Executive Director, Universities at Shady Grove
- 2005 Rose Kramer & Blair Ewing, Past Presidents of the Montgomery County Board of Education, County Council members & lifelong education advocates
- 2004 Chuck Lyons, Publisher, The Gazette, a caring community journalist and civic activist
- 2003 Teresa Wright, Educator and Student Advocate
- 2002 Roscoe Nix, Past Pres. NAACP, Advocate for education for all
- 2002 Joyce Siegel, Citizen Activist
- 2001 Eugene Ford,Developer
- 2001 Norman Cohen, HOC Commissioner, mentor to HOC residents
- 2001 Wangui Njuguna, student, BCC High School for community service
- 2000 Hiawatha Fountain, former Associate Superintendent, Montgomery County Board of Education,
- 2000 Larry Shulman, former State Board of Education President
- 1999 Ed Bohrer, (deceased) former mayor of Gaithersburg
- 1999 Dr. George Thomas, Founder of tutorial program for low income students
- 1999 Delegate Henry Heller, Education Advocate
- 1999 Officer George Hackey, Mentor and friend to public housing residents
- 1998 Dr. Robert Parilla, Past President of Montgomery College
- 1997 Mary D’Ovidio, Montgomery County Public School Principal
- 1996 Carolyn Snowden, Community Activist
