Bright Minds Foundation is honored to announce the establishment of the Robert McKay White Jr. Music Scholarship Fund — a new scholarship created to celebrate the life and legacy of a beloved Howard County educator and champion of the arts.

Rob White spent 36 years shaping young lives through music in the Howard County Public School System, rising from classroom music teacher to Director of Fine Arts at the Board of Education. A graduate of Lebanon Valley College with a degree in Music Education, Rob was a tireless advocate for student participation in band programs, a professional musician in his own right, and — by all accounts — one of the kindest people anyone who knew him had ever met. He passed away on February 20, 2026, leaving behind a community of students, colleagues, and fellow musicians whose lives he touched deeply.

Rob’s son, James White explained: “My father believed in every student who walked into his classroom. This scholarship is our family’s way of making sure that belief keeps showing up for kids in Howard County for years to come. We’re so grateful to have a partner in Bright Minds Foundation to help make that possible.”

Named scholarships are one of the most meaningful ways families and communities can carry a loved one’s values forward. Through a fund like this one, Rob’s dedication to music education will live on each year in the students who are given the opportunity to pursue what he spent a lifetime believing in. If you’d like to support the Robert McKay White Jr. Music Scholarship Fund, you can make a gift here. And if you’re interested in establishing a named scholarship fund of your own through Bright Minds, you can learn more on our website here, or please reach out to our team.

Music educators across Howard County Public Schools are currently nominating candidates, and the White family will work alongside Bright Minds to select this inaugural class of recipients. The response from the community has already been humbling — a testament to the lives Rob touched. We are deeply grateful to the White family, to everyone who has donated in his honor, and to the Howard County community for showing up for the educators who shaped so many of us.

About Bright Minds Foundation
Bright Minds Foundation is the educational foundation of the Howard County Public School System. We bring together community support for academic initiatives that increase access, innovation, and equity for all Howard County public school students. Learn more at brightmindsfoundation.org.