Cameron Jones

Stamps 1693 Scholar

Hometown

Chevy Chase, MD (Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School)

Academic Interests

History, Government, American Studies, Africana Studies

Why W&M 

When I first set foot on William & Mary’s campus, it was the end of my junior year and I was in the midst of shaping my college list. I already had some ideas of what I was looking for in a school, and I didn’t expect William & Mary to meet and even surpass them. On my tour, I immediately fell in love with the architecture and greenery of the campus, which weren’t too shocking considering its historic nature. What did surprise me were the tour guides’ descriptions of class sizes, professor accessibility, and tight-knit nature of the student body, all of which I wouldn’t have expected at a public university. 

As a history enthusiast, I was excited by the proximity to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and the opportunities that they offered for research and exploration. William & Mary quickly moved from a school I was curious about to one of the first I started writing supplemental essays for. 

By the spring of senior year, I had a lot of great options and was dealing with some pretty severe decision paralysis. I was still in the process for the 1693 program, which I hadn’t known about until applying, and decided to go to the finalist weekend. 

That weekend melted my uncertainty away entirely. I felt welcomed by the current scholars, who were incredibly eager to talk to me and seemed just as fascinated by my interests as by their own. The friendly, collaborative nature of the 1693 Scholars Program and broader William & Mary community, which I got a taste of over just two days, was enough to convince me in the end. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to join such a special community at an incredibly special school!

High School Activities 

• Trumpet Player, DC Youth Orchestra
• Jazz Academy Orchestra
• 270 Jazz Orchestra
• Silver Spring Big Band
• BCCHS Jazz Ensemble
• BCCHS Wind Ensemble
• BCCHS Philharmonic Orchestra
• Library of Congress, Summer Intern
• 2026 National Book Festival, Children’s Stage Reader and Assistant Stage Manager
• BCCHS Tri-M Music Honors Society, President
• Student Advisor, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
• Amateur Candy Maker and Recipe Writer
• Independent research on enslaved labor and agriculture on Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
• Exhibit Guide, University of South Carolina Anne Frank Center 
• Vice President and Social Media Manager, BCCHS Baking Club
• Counselor in Training, Barrie Camp

Awards / Distinctions

• 2026 Maryland All State Band
• 2026 Maryland All State Jazz Band
• 2025 Maryland All State Jazz Band
• MCPS Superintendent’s Visual and Performing Arts Award
• BCCHS Louis Armstrong Jazz Award
• BCCHS Martin Luther King Junior Award
• Maryland Seal of Biliteracy
• MCPS Certificate of Meritorious Service