IN OUR SCHOOLS

Clinton School project in Plainfield builds literacy and learning

Staff Report
@MyCentralJersey
Proud to have prepared their school exhibit of the desert, Clinton School students (l-r) Melisa Perez Alvarado and Angely Rivera Chiquillo. First grade, are already experts on the cactus.

Pre-kindergarten, first- and second-grade students and teachers at Clinton Elementary School in the Plainfield School District worked on an literacy project this spring using the book "The Tiny Seed" by author Eric Carle.

The work has been carried in and out of classrooms and in the hallways of the school.

According to Vashon Hill, kindergarten teacher assistant, teams of teachers conducted this literacy and learning campaign to allow children to experience and learn something fun and practical in their lives.

"The students worked hard on different projects, which included an exhibition in our hallways, drawings, and personal expression," Hill said. "It was important to place items in the hallways to invite other children who did not participate in this project, to observe, learn and share what the children were learning. So we all learn at the same time. "

After reading "The Tiny Seed," students also learned lessons about the different seasons of the year, life cycles of butterflies, sunflowers, bees and plants, said Maria Pagan, first-grade bilingual educator.

"All the lessons were taught through each subject: math, reading, writing and science," Pagan said. "Although the children were in different grades they all learned about these lessons and collaborated on the project."

Approximately 100 children participated in this learning project, and Pagan said the project is expected to continue in the next school year.

The team of teachers included: Preschool: Niketa Bailey-Dupiche and Audrey Fenton; Kindergarten: Vashon Hill, Tina Geslak, Jenny Jasko, Jill Stanton, Karen Pacifico, Norma Nieto, Rosa Camey; First Grade: Maria Pagan, Oladele Osunsami, Genean Grate, and  Regina Mazza;  Secondnd Grade: Antoinette Barracato and Gabriela Zanatta-Perdomo.

American International College

Sophie Neuhaus of Fanwood received a doctor's degree in physical therapy from the American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

LOOK and READ: Graduation coverage of Central Jersey's Class of 2018

READ:The good things students are doing in Central Jersey and beyond

READ:Education news from around the region

Champlain College 

Caroline Garretson of Somerville was named to the spring president's list a Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Student must achieve at grade-point average of 4.0

Clemson University

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees this spring from Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina:

Madeline Sage Genco of Annandale, master's degree in entomology .

Paige B. Anderson of Basking Ridge, bachelor's degree in packaging science 

Rachel Jones of Branchburg, master's degree in counselor education 

Leah M. Watson of Bridgewater, bachelor's degree in psychology 

Dylan Raposo of Califon,  bachelor's degree in civil engineering, cum laude

Timothy J. Cuccio of Flemington, bachelor's degree in accounting

Paul I. Cucco of Flemington, bachelor's degree in packaging science 

Rebecca Ashley Rainey of Martinsville, bachelor's degree in financial management 

Heather Josefina Gregory of New Providence, bachelor's degree in biological sciences 

Sihao Chen of Princeton, master's degree in business administration 

Liang Yu of Princeton, master's degree in computer science 

Lindsay Rebecca Ratner of Scotch Plains, bachelor's degree in genetics, cum laude 

Olivia Elizabeth Kaiser of Three Bridges, bachelor's degree in animal and veterinary sciences, magna cum laude

College of Saint Mary

Richeona Reeves of Piscataway received a bachelor's degree in rehabilitation studies, cum laude from the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 20.

College of William & Mary

The following Central Jersey residents at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, were named to the spring dean's list: Joshua Kluger, Caitlin Taylor of Basking Ridge, Lindsay Browne of Bernardsville, Mary Grutta, Hunter Smith of Califon, Thomas Foreman of Flemington, Sophie Morris of Gladstone, Hannah Ryan of Glen Gardner, Ian Creelman of High Bridge, Megan Bull of Hillsborough, Taylor Brinker, Kiliaen O'Connor of Lebanon, Bryan Gardiner of Peapack, Jill Ashey of Pittstown, Gabriela MacPherson of Scotch Plains, Nicole Lorenzi, Robert Tidona, Megan Yingling of Skillman, Troy Cullen of Warren, Natalie Marcotullio of Westfield. Student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.6.

Emory & Henry College

Cassandra Pierz of Raritan graduated with a degree in equine studies from Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia, on May 5.

Geneva College

Taylor Jacobus of High Bridge and Paige Wintermute of Hampton were named to the spring dean's list at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Student must have a grade-point average of 3.6.

Georgian Court University

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees on May 27 (graduates were for August and December 2017, and May 2018): Lauren Carmon of Dunellen, master's degree; Katie Crilley of South Plainfield, master's degree; Erin Gomez of South Plainfield, master's degree; Carolyn Hassenkamp of Somerville, master's degree; Jenalee Jenkin of South Plainfield, bachelor's degree; Michelle Minniti of Scotch Plains, bachelor's degree; Anthony Pittala of Bedminster, master's degree; Neal Steed of South Plainfield, master's degree; Cathline Tanis of Hillsborough, master's degree; Lauren Ashley Tapia of  Bound Brook, bachelor's degree.

Hofstra University

The following Central Jersey residents at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, were named to the provost's list: Gabrielle D'Alessandro of Martinsville, Michelle Gruber of Branchburg and Raymond Ruiz of Scotch Plains.

Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation

The Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation presented scholarships to 30 recipients this spring. The scholarships are awarded to those who are pursuing careers in the healthcare industry. 

The recipients received scholarships from the Jean Alvater Baker Scholarship, Wingover Scholarship for Nursing Education, Albert Kahn and Mary Kahn R.N. Scholarship, the Patricia M. Psenisky Nursing Scholarship, Millie E. Apgar Scholarship for Nursing Education and the Hunterdon Medical Center Auxiliary Educational Fund. 

Pictured are back row (left to right): Thomas Driscoll of Lebanon, Yesha Parekh of Ringoes, Namarata Battula of Annandale, Haley Marra of Annandale, Alexa MacKinnon of Alexandria Township, Sydney Stoter of Califon, Candy Greczylo of Pittstown, Amanda Albrecht of Whitehouse Station, Molly Higgins of Alexandria , Alexzandra Zdepski of Milford, Megan Allen of Bridgewater, Helen Pyne of Hillsborough
 
Front Row (left to right): Kathleen Madden of Easton, Corie Markus of Kingwood Township, Denise Schwabe of Annandale, Jessica Mitchell of Union Township, Brighid, Gibney of Annandale, Madeline Wolf of Annandale, Jacqueline Netschert of Pittstown, Sarah Leff of Pittstown, Kayla Reinhart of Milford, Marissa Young of Holland Township, Jodi Tomasello of Flemington, Almas Thaha of Flemington, Samantha Tufaro of Alexandria
 
Not pictured: Rebecca Brogan of Frenchtown, Yasmin Glennon of Phillipsburg, Elise Leuenberger of Milford, Madison Martino of Lebanon, Alexis Oyediran of Flemington.

The Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation, the fundraising organization for the Hunterdon Healthcare System, seeks gifts and grants from individuals, corporations, foundations and other sources to assist the Hunterdon Medical Center and its affiliated non-profit organizations, such as Hunterdon Regional Community Health and Hunterdon Hospice, in fulfilling their mission to meet the community’s need for high quality healthcare.

Annual charitable gifts to the Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation provide the essential support needed to expand clinical services and programs and maintain and enhance our facilities. Visit, foundation.hunterdonhealthcare.org

Iowa State University 

Justin Miranda of Piscataway, received a bachelor's degree in industrial technology from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. 

Kent Place School Class of 2018

Graduating seniors at Kent Place in Summit are going on to college around the country. Here's a look at their destinations: 

Kent Place School Class of 2018 college destinations.

American University; Boston College; Boston University; Bucknell University; Colgate University; College of the Holy Cross; College of William & Mary; Columbia University; Duke University; Elizabethtown College; Emory University; Georgetown University; Gettysburg College; Hobart and William Smith Colleges; Indiana University Bloomington; Ithaca College;Johns Hopkins University; Kean University; Lafayette College; Northeastern University; Occidental College; Princeton University; Rice University; Southern Methodist University; Spelman College; Swarthmore College; Syracuse University; Trinity College;Tufts University; University of Colorado at Boulder; University of Michigan; University of Pennsylvania; University of Richmond; University of Southern California; University of St. Andrews;                    University of Wisconsin - Madison; Vanderbilt University; Vassar College; Villanova University; Wake Forest University; Washington University in St. Louis; Wesleyan University; Williams College; Yale University.       

Knox College

Andrea Jindracek of Glen Gardner received a bachelor's degree in creative writing with a minor in anthropology and sociology from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois on June 3.

Lincoln University

Henry Ogala of Somerset was named to the spring dean's list at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. Student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.0.

Lycoming College

The following Central Jersey received their degrees from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania: Charlotte Wentz of Glen Gardner, bachelor's degree in chemistry, cum laude; Rachel Brokaw of Scotch Plains, bachelor's degree in psychology.

Mary Baldwin University

Charlotte Evans of Asbury, received a doctor's degree in occupational therapy from Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia on May 20.

Miami University

Diane Gitler of Middlesex was recently accepted into the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) and will be taking classes toward a master of arts in teaching degree in the biological sciences from Miami University through Project Dragonfly.

Middlesex County College 

The following Central Jersey resident at Middlesex County College were named to the spring dean's list:

Basking Ridge: Xinyan Lu

Bound Brook:Siria Marroquin-Depaz

Bridgewaer; Claire Lacy, Genesis Perez

Dunellen: Nicole Baudendistel, Carlos Pareja-Garcia, Nicole Coello, James Piedilato, Joshua Benalcazar, Jennifer Coello, Shaina Toth

Franklin Park: Samantha Terranova, Huda Usmani

Hillsborough: Andrew Cronce

Manville:Sowunmi Abimbola 

Middlesex; Alejandra Hoyos, Melanie Perone, Rachel Segars, Chenxi Yang, Yuman Xu, Antonino Dimaggio , Ana Guzman-Ballinas, Kelly Boyle, Alejandra Monsalve, Ricardo Saldana, Kelly Zierdt, Mariah Lopez, Kristy Garcia, Neal Udsen

Piscataway: Mattruiz Eguia, Gillian Hatcher, Hanh Le, Danielle Lopazanski, Peter Nagy, Hiralkumar Patel, Jaykumar Patel, Emily Rider , Joseph Stahley, Sana Khan, Keyur Patel, Kamira Roache, Franka Seen, Jessica Uherek, Osman Jouejati, Karuna Pun, Jieun Shin, Katherine Suarez-Martinez, Neel Patel, Ashwin Vemula, Donark Patel, Trisha Maher, Ryan Henney, Sandy Truong, Kaila Kopp-Baez, Daniel Piepoli, Rebecca Birardi, Julia Gilleece, Kimberly Horning, Nicholas Nieto, Ayanna Johnson, Jake Carlon, Omar Hegab, Samantha Miller, Kyra Grant, Angelimani Bateman, Anthony Bellonio, Sasha Veliz, Jaydeep Patel, Glenn Harding, Mehal Patel, Swara Patel, Alicia Omoletski, Kajol Patel, Mark Reyes, Siara Rosa, Christine Iloegbunam, Samantha Urash, Ryan Carless, Katherine Gerardi, Mirse Amaya, Damon Pleasant, Mikayla Dufour, Ayoub Elannani, Orlando Merida, Khaleed Morrow, Diana Agudelo Foronda, Dana Lauria, William Wallace

Plainfield: Essence Rowe- Privott 

Princeton: Jared Wojaczyk, Samuel Schwartz, Amber Scalera, Maria Torres, Qiongjie Zhou, Whitney Alderman, Collin Belk Rahway

Somerset: Alexis Attardo, Saad Ahmad, Arsilan Chaudhry, Adam Timari, Ariel Eighmey, Harlig Medina, Tiare Ramos

South Bound Brook: Jessica Raimondo, Thomas Cipas, Kaitlyn Mendelowitz

South Plainfield: Chris Ayala, Jamie Donato, Johny Khalaf, Nathan Mensah, Alexa Gentile, James O’Connor, Sarah McCarthy, Zachary-James Henderson, Christopher Kuberiet, Tony Le, Victoria Maino, Rebecca Ng, Chandniben Patel, Scott Pietschker, Samantha Tercek, Ellie Tom, Divya Budhan, Brian Cullen, Ariel Buenano, Salazar, Jack Cochrane, Matthew Ozbalik, Ricky Pellegrino, Jonathan Perez, Nicholas Pezzolla, Samantha Ratti, Jaime Rochotte, Hermala Sewdat, Dhruvkumar Patel, Loc Nguyen, Cody Soper, Aiden Adamson, Kimberlee Serrano, Jessica Ortiz, Pooja Patel, Maham Ali, Nicole Sottiriou, Kimberly Stanczak, Lauren Yanick, Brian Csobor, Gina Abbruzzese, Rachel Cannalonga, Tista Roy, Justice Lipuma, Mariam Abdelmalak, Shayna Hodge, Tara Jackson

Whitehouse Station; Hailey Patterson.

Misericordia University

The Department of English at Misericordia University recently recognized the academic accomplishments of its top graduating students at the annual Honors and Awards Ceremony in Lemmond Theater in Walsh Hall.

Misericordia University seniors, from left, Laura Baut, Exeter, Pennsylvania; Gabriella LaManna of Hillsborough,  and Sierra-Lynn Krohnemann, Roslyn, Pennsylvania, received academic awards for excellence in English from Dr. Patrick Hamilton, associate professor and chair of the Department of English.

Laura Baut of Exeter was presented with the Okla Elliott Award for Creative Literary Achievement in recognition of her passion for the arts and excellence in the classroom. The Elliott Award was established in honor of the late Okla Elliott, Ph.D., a member of the Department of English faculty and noted poet and author, who died in March 2017.

Sierra-Lynn Krohnemann of Roslyn was presented the Instress Award for Service and Creative Distinction. Krohnemann was recognized for her creative spirit and leadership in serving as editor of Instress, Misericordia’s student literary publication, for three years.

The Award for Excellence in English was awarded to Gabriella LaManna of Hillsborough in recognition of her outstanding achievements in English.

The students graduated Saturday, May 12 during the 92nd annual spring commencement ceremony at the Anderson Sports and Health Center on campus.

Mount Saint Mary Academy

During Mount Saint Mary Academy’s 41st Annual Sports Awards at The Pines Manor in Edison, four seniors were recognized for being named scholar-athletes by a variety of athletic organizations. Pictured, left to right with Mount Directress Sister Lisa D. Gambacorto, RSM, Ed.S., are: Brigid McNamara of Morristown, Cassidy Connett of Piscataway, Chloe Markey of Florham Park, and Sydney Nigro of Westfield. Brigid (volleyball), who will study at Wake Forest University, received the Somerset County Principals’ Association Scholar-Athlete award. Cassidy (basketball/soccer), who will attend Duke University in the fall, was named the NJISAA (New Jersey Independent Schools Athletic Association) Scholar-Athlete. Chloe (swimming), who will attend the University of Michigan, received the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) scholar-athlete designation.  Sydney (volleyball), who will study at The College of New Jersey, was named the Skyland Conference Scholar-Athlete.

Northeastern University

The following Central Jersey residents at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, were named to the spring dean's list: 

Abishek Cheriath, Jared Feldman, Ratchell Sadovnik of Bedminster; Caroline Evans, Akhil Agarwal, Neeraj Sudhakar, Anna Brown of Branchburg; Priscilla Senoo, Ryan Kenny, Andrew Colabella, Meredith Young of Hillsborough; Owen Chavez,  Sindhu Gowda,  David Earley of Somerset; Abigail Kepner, Michael Tang of Berkeley Heights; Stephanie Jung, Tristen Abaya, Kerry Hogan, Erica Cheung, Jenna Reed, Evan Moore, Samantha Moore, Victoria Napolitano,  Aleksandr Prystupa, Olivia Clausen of Westfield; Amy Liu of Fanwood; Madison Banker, Sarika Mujumdar, Nicole Van Etten, Jacob Arkin of Scotch Plains; Spencer Williams-Fox,Timothy DaSilva of Millington; Katherine Humphrey,  Andrew Tu of Warren. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.

Northampton Community College

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees from Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this spring: Julie Landgraf of Annandale, associate's degree in dental hygiene; Kelly Bishop of Asbury, associate's degree in dental hygiene; Jennifer McDonough of Bloomsburg, associate's degree in business management; Elizabeth Reilly of Milford, associate's degree in early childhood education.

Readington: Whitehouse School

Each year, students at all grade levels in Whitehouse School in Readington participate in growing a school-wide vegetable garden. In the process, Rutgers Master Gardeners work alongside teacher grade level liaisons to co-plan relevant lessons that are linked directly to that grade level’s curricular science units (e.g., weather, soil, plant, insects, etc.) 

Pictured here on Harvest Day are:  Laurie Fischer, Rutgers Master Gardener Team Leader, Melissa Truempy, Whitehouse School Garden Project Coordinator & third grade teacher, Owen Rivenbark and Kelsey Burgey third grade students, and Special Officer Brian Gilmurray of Readington Township Police Department.

The school has a composting program and under the direction of the Master Gardeners, the garden bed soil is professionally tested. The sophisticated lab result reports are then shared with students. For instance, third-graders become familiar with the importance of having the appropriate balance of minerals in the soil, and if the soil is too acidic, they know how to bring it back to the correct pH level by adding lime.

As a culmination to the school garden experience, all children partake in a Grab-and-Go Harvest in which they gather enough lettuce, onions, radishes, and sweet snap peas to fill a bag that they then bring home to enjoy with their families.

Saint Francis University

Nicole Nugent of Fanwood received a bachelor's degree in health science from Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, this spring and also was named to the dean's list.

ALSO: The following residents were named to the spring provost's and dean's list: Bartholomew Blair of Bridgewater, provost; Skyler Kiessling of Piscataway, dean; Alejandra Roa of Basking Ridge, provost. Students must achieve a grade-point average provost, 3.8 and dean's 3.5. 

Somerset County 4-H Scholarships

Eleven students have been named recipients of Somerset County 4-H scholarships.  Open to members and alumni of the Somerset County 4-H Youth Development program, the 11 winners will receive a total of $21,000 for their continuing education.

Left to right: Bridgett Sona, Kirsten Clerico, Julie Pirro, Kate Gallagher, Madison Whiting, Ariel Staffin, Molly O’Sullivan, Camille Duchamp, Noah Rothenburger, Alex Norz.

Recipient of the Joseph J. & Florence K. Klimas Scholarship: Camille Duchamp of Princeton; 4-H Trainmasters Scholarship: Anthony Siniscalco of Readington: 4-H Alpaca Club Scholarship and Rob Fellows Memorial Scholarship: Bridget Sona of  White house Station; 4-H Prep Scholarship, Julie Pirro of Metuchen and Noah Rothenburger of Readington.  Recipients of the Somerset County 4-H Association Scholarships: Kirsten Clerico of Hillsborough, Kate Gallagher of Bridgewater, Alex Norz of Hillsborough, Molly O’Sullivan of Hillsborough, Julie Pirro of Metuchen, Noah Rothenburger of Readington, Ariel Staffin of Bridgewater and Madison Whiting of Somerset.

The Wardlaw+Hartridge Middle School

Middle School students at The Wardlaw+Hartridge School in Edison capped a stellar and productive year of service activities by presenting a check for $3,065.50 with funds raised through eighth grade businesses. The funds will be directed to the MicroDreams Foundation, which empowers women in third world countries to use loans to build their own profitable businesses. Pictured with Dr. Corinna Crafton of Edison, Middle School Head, from left: Madison Torres of Edison, Faizah Naqvi of South Plainfield, Kori Brown of Plainfield, Shiv Tickoo of Scotch Plains, Robin Zhong of Edison and Tiffany Yu of Roselle.

Union County College

Beginning in the fall 2018 semester, students will have an opportunity to major in Cyber Forensics, a new Associate in Applied Science degree program at Union County College. The field of cyber forensics encompasses the discovery, preservation, analysis, and reporting of digital evidence in a way that is admissible in a court of law.

The employment outlook for this field is extremely favorable due to the rampant growth in data breaches, privacy violations, and cybercrimes. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), cyber-related occupations are projected to grow by 28 percent between 2016 and 2026, four times faster than the average for all occupations.

Union’s associate degree program was designed to prepare students to enter the workforce or continue their studies at baccalaureate-granting colleges and universities, according to a news release. Students entering the workforce upon graduation will be qualified for in-demand jobs, such as middle-skill digital forensics technicians, cyber forensics examiners, and cybersecurity incident handlers.

Experiential education is integrated throughout the curriculum, culminating in a service-learning capstone course with community partners. Through hands-on learning, students will gain experience with digital forensics software and hardware tools in a dedicated classroom that was funded by a National Science Foundation grant. In addition, students will broaden their studies with classes in cybersecurity principles, cyber law and ethics, criminal justice, government, sociology, and statistics. For a list of courses comprising this two-year program visit the college’s online catalog, http://onlinecatalog.ucc.edu/. The college is currently accepting registrations for summer and fall 2018 classes. 

For more information about Union County College and to register for classes visit us online at www.ucc.edu.

University of Dayton

Adam Mohamed of High Bridge received a bachelor's degree from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.

University of Scranton

Andrew Bamundo of Berkeley received a bachelor's degree in accounting, magna cum laude for the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

University of Vermont

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees from the University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont:

Nora Aronds of Westfield, bachelor's degree in early childhood preschool

Ryan Augustine of Frenchtown, bachelor's degree in civil engineering

Margaret Brennan of Bernardsville, bachelor's degree in athletic training education

Jesse Cole of Warren, bachelor's degree in business administration,

Alexa Dahler of Clinton, bachelor's degree in biological science

Michael Garrett of Basking Ridge, bachelor's degree in physics

Jason Giniger of Warren, bachelor's degree in business administration

Paige Greenfield of Annandale, bachelor's degree in environmental sciences,

Joyce Huang of Belle Mead, bachelor's degree in dietetics nutrition & food sciences, cum laude

Molly Jennings of Westfield, bachelor's degree in English

Jonathan Kelly of Westfield, bachelor's degree in business administration

Nicholas Koch of Westfield, bachelor's degree in history,

Erika Lewy of Flemington, bachelor's degree in community & international development, summa cum laude

Robert Michaelson of Skillman, bachelor's degree in parks recreation and tourism

Jonathan Olin of Gillette, bachelor's degree in business administration

Patrick Profita of Basking Ridge, bachelor's degree in civil engineering

Emily Sickles of Westfield, bachelor's degree in secondary education - English

Gillian Worley of Fanwood, bachelor's degree in statistics

Oraya Zinder of Princeton, bachelor's degree in molecular denetics.

ALSO: The following residents were named to the spring dean's list: Sean Allan, Louis Augeri of Princeton, Emma Bearison of Mountainside, Stella Billek of Westfield, Amanda Cornetta of Whitehouse Station, Julia Criscuolo of Westfield, Jacqueline Diaz of Bridgewater, Jonathan Kelly, Cameron McLaughlin, Lauren Rigney of Westfield, Olivia Roder of Berkeley Heights, Claire Rothfelder of Westfield, Brian Rundlet of Watchung, Lauren Schnepf, Emily Sickles of Westfield, Erin Suler of Garwood. Student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.0.

Van Doren Scholarship

Thirteen Somerset County high school and college students will receive Van Doren scholarships for the 2018-19 academic year. This is the 23nd time these awards have been given. Their total value this year is $40,000.

Since its founding in 1996, the Van Doren Foundation has awarded more than $! million in financial aid to undergraduate students.

The trustees this year chose the following students to receive Van Doren scholarships:

Residents of Peapack-Gladstone include Holly Lallis, a senior at Colby College, Waterville, Maine; Sophie Henderson, who will be a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Frederick Ludtke, who will be a sophomore at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Washington, D.C.

Also, Bridgewater resident Trisha Kaundinya, who will be a sophomore at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, Grace Sommers, also of Bridgewater, a junior at Princeton University, Princeton; Bound Brook resident Bruno Diaz who will be continuing his studies as a junior at Rutgers, New Brunswick, and Karthik Irakam, a sophomore at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

High School seniors receiving Van Doren scholarships include David Oliveira, a senior at Bernards High School who will begin his undergraduate studies at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California; Ridge High School senior Rohit Roy will be attending Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Warren resident Catherine Chen, a senior at the Academy for Health and Medical Sciences in Bridgewater who will be a freshman at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.; and Bridgewater resident Brian Oo, who will be a freshman at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In addition, two seniors at Watchung Hills Regional High School are among this year’s winners. Helen Yang will be attending Columbia University, New York, and Linda Ye will be a freshman at Stanford University, Stanford, California.

Peter Ellis Van Doren, who died in 1994, left most of his estate to be used for scholarships. According to his wishes, while preference is given to students who live in the borough of Peapack-Gladstone, applicants from other Somerset County communities are considered as well.

Selection is based on such qualities as a strong incentive for learning and high moral character and not primarily on financial need.

To be eligible for a Van Doren Scholarship, a candidate must be a resident of Somerset County and be attending or planning to attend as a full-time undergraduate student an accredited four-year college, two-year college, or a post-high school trade or nursing school.

Students may apply for this scholarship during their senior year of high school and during any year of their post-secondary school education. Students working on advanced degrees are not eligible.

Applications for 2019 will be available in December at the guidance department of each public and private secondary school in Somerset County as well as from the reference librarian of most public libraries in the County. Individual applications may also be obtained by writing to The Van Doren Scholarship, P.O. Box 584, Peapack, New Jersey 07977

Westfield Public Schools

Westfield High School freshmen members of the Westfield Debate Team Mira Mehta (left) and Kailey Zhao were recent quarterfinalists at the 43rd University of Pennsylvania Tournament and semi-finalists at the state championship of the New Jersey Speech and Debate League.  The Westfield Debate Team is a partnership of the Westfield Public School District, the Westfield Parent-Teacher Council Gifted Education Committee and the Westfield Area YMCA.  The team consists of 24 members from Westfield High School and Edison and Roosevelt Intermediate Schools, with such Public Forum Debate topics as the repeal of the capital gains tax, authorization of military force and whether college athletes should be paid.

ALSO: 

Westfield High School juniors Julia Hollosi, Matthew Leone, Jeffrey Yang and sophomore Julia Tompkins received perfect scores of 800 on the May 2018 SAT Math Level 2 section, according to recent reports received by the school. Sophomore Ian Gurland earned a perfect score on the May 2018 SAT Chemistry section. "I commend you for this outstanding achievement for it speaks volumes about your abilities and your commitment to your education," said principal Dr. Derrick Nelson.  Pictured L-R are:  Gurland, Leone, Yang, Nelson, Hollosi and Tompkins.

ALSO: A trailblazer is defined as “an innovator or pioneer, someone who paves the way for others” and there were many trailblazers on hand at Madame McKinley’s Wax Museum to make history come alive.

Presented on May 24 on the McKinley School lawn, the annual event featured fourth-graders Mary Lane as actress/comedian Lucille Ball, Tegan Hegarty as English mathematician Ada Lovelace, Lucas Aparicio as baseball great Jackie Robinson, Brandon Smith as Italian painter/sculptor/architect Michelangelo and many other pioneering figures. After pushing a button, the student “wax figure” came to life, reciting historical facts about the trailblazer as a first-person narrative.

Fourth grader Mary Lane as actress/comedian Lucille Ball.
Fourth grader Tegan Hegarty as English mathematician Ada Lovelace.

Wofford College

Princeton resident Sophia Smith, a student at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, will be studying in Ireland for the summer.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts:

Joseph Santoro of Belle Mead, master's degree in business administration

Nicolae Dumitriu of Princeton, master's degree in power systems management

William Bennett of Westfield, bachelor's degree in chemical engineering with high distinction.

Timothy Bill of Frenchtown, bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with distinction.

Michael Hopkins of Scotch Plains, bachelor's degree in robotics engineering.

Marisa Sposato of Flemington, bachelor's in chemical engineering with distinction.

Natalie Thompson of Hillsborough, bachelor's degree in chemical engineering with high distinction.

Christian Walck of Pittstown, bachelor's degree in chemical engineering.

ALSO: The following residents were named to the spring dean's list: Claire Barrameda of Watchung, Lillian Olsen of Princeton, Matthew Schueler, Aislinn Harte of Bridgewater, Salvatore Lombardo, Owen France, Marisa Sposato of Flemington, Natalie Thompson of Hillsborough, Michael Sidler of Whitehouse Station. The criteria for the WPI dean's ;ist differs from most other universities as WPI does not compute a grade point average. Instead, WPI defines the dean's Llist by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects.

Student and School news appears on Fridays. Email: cnmetro@mycentraljersey.com