NJ students: Edge named recipient of Service Learning Leadership Award
Samantha Edge of Somerville has been named the recipient of the Raritan Valley Community College Service Learning Leadership Award. Edge is a student in the college’s Medical Assistant Certificate program.
The annual award honors students for their outstanding leadership and personal development attained through their service learning project and reflection activity. The award focuses on projects showing a high level of initiative in all areas of planning, including identifying the community need, developing the service, and putting that plan into action.
Edge has proven her dedication to service, demonstrating her passion and leadership skills through her activities. During the fall 2021 semester, while enrolled in the Administrative Medical Assisting Principles course, Edge worked with All Women’s Healthcare in Flemington to develop materials for its Centering Pregnancy Program. Edge worked with the Practice Manager and collaboratively planned a project that would promote an innovative way to conduct prenatal care in a group setting. Because of COVID, Edge was not able to find a compatible in-person placement, so she went above and beyond to design a remote project with a local women’s center. She demonstrated professional communication with healthcare staff, was receptive to feedback about the materials she designed, and was creative in both her vision and execution of the project.
Reflecting on her service, Edge said, “I chose this project with All Women’s Healthcare because of how much I believe in the Centering Pregnancy Program. The program helps women by giving them a close relationship with fellow expecting mothers and their providers. Not only can these women see their physicians at their scheduled visits, but they also form bonds that give them support when they may not have it otherwise.”
“I have always had a desire and found happiness in volunteering and plan to continue. I believe that volunteering provides you with a sense of purpose and is not only important to individual growth but the act itself can leave a lasting impression on others,” Edge said.
Upon graduation of the program, Edge plans to continue her studies in the college’s RN program and aspires to be a labor and delivery nurse. She recently was recognized for her work in RVCC’s Nota Bene exhibit at https://bit.ly/3yNOlwj. Nota Bene celebrates the power of imagination by showcasing outstanding student work from across the curriculum. The students have been nominated by faculty members, and their submissions feature a diverse mixture of literature, videos, demonstrations, and visual artwork.
Also: Raritan Valley Community College Engineering students Luke Ingenito and Henry Freligh recently presented their “Rotating Head Support” and “Weight Room Energy Absorber” engineering projects on behalf of their teammates at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Mid-Atlantic Conference. The conference was held Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23 at New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.
Ingenito, a resident of Clinton, is an RVCC 2020 graduate who is currently a senior Industrial Engineering major at Rutgers University. He represented an interdisciplinary collaboration of three RVCC Engineering and Graphic Design teams that worked over a period of 1.5 years to develop a wheelchair-mounted rotating head support for a local disabled child. The students’ head support design overcame the limitation of commercial fixed head supports and allowed the child to rotate his head sufficiently to more frequently activate mechanical switches, located near his head, and thereby interact with educational software. The Graphic Design students also developed ideas for a more “kid-friendly” aesthetic for the head support and created complete product “visual identities” and branding campaigns.
In addition to Ingenito, the “Rotating Head Support” project participants included Dylan L. Vongrej of Branchburg, Juan Galindo-Maza of Somerville, Darwin Arias Lizano of Bound Brook, Jenna Nugent of Branchburg, and Kate Rybak of Basking Ridge.
Freligh, a resident of Glen Gardner who is a chemical engineering major at RVCC, presented a fully functional prototype device to absorb and dissipate the impact energy of a falling “Deadlift” barbell in the campus weight room. The prototype eliminated the loud “booming” noise generated previously by the falling barbell. The noise had been disruptive to college offices located directly below the weight room. The students used a torsion bar to absorb and store the impact energy and shock absorbers to dissipate the energy.
In addition to Freligh, the “Weight Room Energy Absorber” project team included Christian A. Ambrico of Bridgewater and Angie. P. Mendez of Flemington.
Both projects were part of the college’s Honors Authentic Engineering Experience, a project-based learning program that tasks students to solve a real problem for a real customer. The Authentic Engineering Experience program was taught by former RVCC Professor Peter Stupak with frequent collaboration with Professor Darren McManus from the college’s Arts & Design Department. Both Stupak and McManus believe that engineering challenges, solved in collaboration with the arts, lead to better solutions than can be realized by either group working independently. Stupak currently serves as president of Main Engine Start, a nonprofit corporation in NJ. New Jersey.
Mother Seton Regional High School
The administration, faculty and staff of Mother Seton Regional High School in Clark announced their senior class valedictorian and salutatorian for the 2021-2022 school year. Valedictorian Emily Destito of Linden, and Salutatorian Raquel Pita of Belleville, were recognized with the top two academic achievement awards.
Destito is a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council. She participated in Math League and Science League. Destito was also a Student Ambassador, and a member of the Loaves and Fishes Club. Destito also received the AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP English and AP US History awards. Besides maintaining her excellent academic record, Destito was a four-year athlete participating in soccer and serving as captain in her senior year. Destito is the younger sister of alumna Lauren Destito, Class of 2019, who is a nursing student at The College of New Jersey.
Destito will attend Cornell University, where she will study Chemical Engineering.
Pita is a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council. She was involved with the school’s volleyball team playing for one year and serving as their manager for three years. Pita served as a student ambassador and competed in both Math and Science leagues. She has been the sound coordinator for the school's musicals. Pita is the older sister of Catarina Pita, Class of 2026.
Pita is looking forward to attending the University of New Haven for Cybersecurity and Networks.
Sister Jacquelyn Balasia, principal of Mother Seton Regional High School, said, “Each of these two girls has devoted countless hours of hard work and dedication to their studies at Mother Seton Regional High School to receive this time-honored recognition. We congratulate both Emily and Raquel on all of their achievements and accomplishments, both inside and outside of the classroom. We know that they will make a difference in this world. The future is HERS.”
Mount Saint Mary Academy
On the morning of Thursday, May 12, Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung revealed the names of additional Class of 2022 student-athletes who have expressed their intent to further their athletic careers at the collegiate level. The following students were honored by Denise Materia, director of Athletics and assistant directress (Student Life), Sister Lisa D. Gambacorto, directress, in Mother Mary Patrick Gymnasium. Family members, faculty/staff, coaches, and classmates were also on hand to offer their congratulations.
Mary Rojack of Madison, field hockey, The Catholic University of America
Mariella Hilyard of Monroe Township, volleyball, Colby College
Semrit Nijjar of Iselin, volleyball, University of Miami
Mary Wieszczek of Scotch Plains, soccer, Franciscan University at Steubenville
Reilly Melvin of Westfield, golf, Franklin & Marshall College
Erin Geib of Somerset, track & field, University of Vermont
Earlier this year, the following members of the Class of 2022 were congratulated on the following athletic commitments:
Molly Catchpole of Madison, field hockey, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Sarah Gresham of Califon, lacrosse, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Catherine Meisner of Berkeley Heights, swimming, Pennsylvania State University
Julia Meisner of Berkeley Heights, swimming, Pennsylvania State University
Ella Romeo of Chatham, lacrosse, Davidson College
Also: Marina Cialdella of Branchburg and Madeline Carnesi-Silberstein of Clark have been selected to attend music programs to hone their talent and skills this summer.
Cialdella will attend the Ithaca College Pre-college vocal summer program from Sunday, July 10, to Saturday, July 23. The college, which houses one of the top music programs in the country, hosts a Summer Music Academy which provides a creative and supportive environment featuring an offering of music courses, and non-music courses, taught by Ithaca faculty and top music educators from across the country.
She will participate in large ensembles, chamber ensembles, masterclasses, and an array of music and non-music courses designed to prepare her to enter college.
“I am really excited to attend Ithaca’s pre-college vocal program this summer,” said Cialdella. “This will be a great opportunity for me to further expand my vocal skill and knowledge in music, while also preparing me for college. I’m so glad that I’ll be able to work with such talented faculty, as well as meet other students passionate in music. I am so grateful that I was selected for and get to experience this amazing program.”
Mia Pafumi, Music Department chairperson, said, “We are thrilled for Marina and her acceptance to this summer program. She will have the opportunity to grow musically, and she will experience some of finest young artists in the country — whom she is among. We are very proud that Marina will be representing us, as an elite of Mount Saint Mary's Music and Theater department when she showcases her talents at the Ithaca Summer Music Academy.”
Carnesi-Silberstein of Clark has been selected to attend a three-week program in July at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, a top conservatory in the country which accepts 10 pianists each year who are seriously considering a career in music and who perform at advanced levels.
The program will feature two individual lessons per week per student, performance and masterclass opportunities, a career seminar with guest speakers who are leaders in their field in the music industry, as well as theory, aural skills, and history classes.
“I’m incredibly excited to spend part of my summer at Eastman and to meet other students my age who also have a passion for classical music,” said Carnesi-Silberstein
“Living on campus will be a unique experience for me, and I’m looking forward to seeing the beautiful concert halls. Studying at a conservatory, even for three weeks, will advance my musicianship immensely and be helpful in my preparation for college auditions. Eastman’s talented faculty will help prepare me in piano performance and music theory, and the performance opportunities will be very rewarding,” she said.
Steven Zimmerman, director of Instrumental Music, said, “I am so proud of Maddie for being accepted into Eastman’s summer program. Having personally completed programs at Eastman as a student, I know Maddie will learn so much and add to her already impressive talent. Maddie is an incredible student in the Mount Music Department, and I wish her nothing but the best this summer.”
Also: A junior at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung, Ankita Mallik will spend six weeks, from Monday, June 20, to Sunday, July 31, as a 2022 Democracy Summer Fellow with her campaign assignment to Congressman Tom Malinowski at his office in Basking Ridge.
Mallik's participation in this program joins more than 60 campaigns of Democratic members of Congress for a summer of education, organizing, and progress. On Mondays and Wednesdays, she will glean an understanding of the political process from leaders, organizers, and scholars in the country in a virtual setting. During the rest of the week, she will work directly in-person with Malinowski’s office for activities such as phone/text banking; canvassing; voter registration and fundraising calls; attending, organizing, and coordinating campaign events or fundraisers; and roundtables, seminars, and networking with local leaders.
“I applied online in March through the Democracy Summer website and became interested because one of my friends had also attended the program,” said Mallik, a Scotch Plains resident.
“I am looking forward to gaining real experience regarding how a political campaign works. I was also informed that students participating as fellows would receive the opportunity to coordinate and work on their own campaign event ideas,” she said. “I hope to learn a lot about the field of politics, and to learn from Congressman Malinowski by seeing how he helps my community through his work.”
Mallik, who is interested in pursuing a career in political science, would like to participate in politics and law in the future. She believes the Democracy Summer Fellow program will enrich her understanding of this discipline by providing first-hand experience of working in a congressman’s office and seeing the daily activities involved in a campaign.
Mallik is the vice-president of Junior State of America chapter at Mount Saint Mary Academy. She also competes in events Public Forum Debate and Oral Interpretation on the Speech and Debate Team. Mallik serves as co-president of Society of Women Engineers at the Mount, where she is taking AP Government and Politics and AP United States History.
READ: The good things students are doing in Central Jersey and beyond
READ: Education news from around the region
READ: College Connection: Advice from local expert columnist
Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey
The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey (the Partnership), in collaboration with the NJ Department of Health, announced the winners for the tenth annual Protect Me With 3+ adolescent immunization awareness poster and video contest.
“The Protect Me With 3+ contest encourages students to collaborate with their peers while learning about the vaccinations they need to stay healthy,” said Mariekarl Vilceus-Talty, president and CEO of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey.
The winners and finalists in each category were honored at an awards ceremony and banquet held at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township on Wednesday, May 11.The top three winners in the poster and video categories received prizes and the opportunity for their artistic creations to be distributed during statewide immunization awareness activities.
Middle School poster contest winners:
First place: Sofia Prado, Franklin Elementary School
Second place: Kayden Clermont, Franklin Elementary School
Third place: Katherine Quizhpi, Franklin Elementary School
Honorable mention: Alex Belusko, Henry Hudson Regional
Honorable mention: Lilyanna Lou, Master Art Studio
High School poster contest winners:
First place: Angela Dinh, Marlboro High School
Second place: Meagan Bourke, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School
Third place: Alyson Van Gulick, Vernon Township High School
Honorable mention: Kayla Patterson, Vernon Township High School
Honorable mention: Brina Trivedi, Wood-Ridge Junior/Senior High School
High School video contest winners:
First place: Dylan Kiperman, Michael Jaeger, Daniel Cohen, and Ryan Heller, Marlboro High School
Second place: Mary Smullen and Jake Faria, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science
Third place: Kelly Sullivan and Jennifer Beyn, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science
Honorable mention: Lidhu Arakkal and Arvin Angi, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science
Honorable mention: Audrey Yue and Jasmin Sawhney, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science
Teachers and schools with the most eligible classroom submissions in each category were also acknowledged at the ceremony. The winning teachers and schools include:
Venisha Jordan, Franklin Elementary, Rahway, Middle School Poster Category
Cynthia Pffirman, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, High School Poster Category
William Werntz, Marlboro High School, Marlboro, High School Video Category
“The Department of Health would like to thank all of the students and teachers who participated in the contest this year in support of adolescent immunizations,” said Dr. Tina Tan, state epidemiologist and assistant commissioner of the NJ Department of Health. “We look forward to showcasing these informative posters and videos at various health events throughout New Jersey.”
The Protect Me With 3+ contest raises awareness about the importance of adolescent immunizations to protect against COVID-19, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap), human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal conjugate, and influenza (flu).
This year, the contest received nearly 200 poster and video entries from middle school and high school students across the state. The winning creations can be viewed at www.protectmewith3.com/winners.
NJ students in grades 5-8 were eligible to submit posters, while students in grades 9-12 were eligible to submit either posters or videos. The public voted for their favorite entries from Tuesday, March 29, through Tuesday, April 5.
Somerset County Vocational and Technical Schools, Bridgewater
Throughout the months of March and April, Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School’s (SCVTHS) Softball Team, along with the help of the sustainably-focused Green Team, held a reusable bag drive. Dozens of reusable bags were collected in an effort to help in-need SCVTHS families comply with the New Jersey ban on single-use shopping bags.
“The bags will go to SCVTHS families who may be struggling to make ends meet at this time, and to alleviate some of the financial stress they may be experiencing,” said SCVTHS Softball Coach Brittany Maldonado. "It was a great opportunity for the girls to give back to their community during their season."
Also: On Wednesday, May 11, students in the Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School carpentry program assisted Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity in performing some critical repairs for a home in Bound Brook. The project came to be from a previous conversation where SCVTHS Supervisor of Career and Technical Education Rob Carrig and Cooperative Education Coordinator Gerald Mazzetta discussed coordinating efforts with Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity.
The house, which was flooded with more than three feet of water on the first floor from Hurricane Ida, is in need of some necessary repairs before the owner can inhabit it again. In addition to financial assistance from a State Farm sponsored grant, Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity has stepped in to provide materials, labor, and guidance in completing the project.
“We really try to empower the youth to be part of these projects,” said Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity Community Services Manager Jessica Mauceri. “This project, in particular, seemed like the ideal situation. It’s such a rewarding experience for all involved.” Mauceri said having the students step in to assist really shows how these projects are able to bring the community together.
SCVTHS Carpentry Instructor James Foley also spoke of the partnership saying, “Having the students volunteer for Habitat for Humanity provided them with the opportunity to apply the skills they learned in the shop in a real-life scenario. It is one thing to learn how to install sheetrock in a shop space, but to actually enter into a person's home and produce quality work that will last for years to come is quite another. The students were eager to work and hopefully garnered great satisfaction knowing that with each piece of drywall hung up and each phase of spackling completed they were helping to get the house one step further to being occupied again. This volunteering experience also helps to build a sense of community among the students, everyone working together to achieve a common goal.”
“In the future, we plan on assisting Habitat for Humanity with many more home repairs,” said SCVTHS Supervisor of Career and Technical Education Rob Carrig. “We hope to expand to not only sending out carpentry students but our electrical and plumbing as well.”
U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced the 58th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 161 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.
The NJ scholar is Carson He of East Brunswick from East Brunswick High School.
“Our 2022 Presidential Scholars represent the best of America, and remind us that when empowered by education, there are no limits to what our young people can achieve,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “ I join President Biden to celebrate a class of scholars whose pursuit of knowledge, generosity of spirit, and exceptional talents bring our nation tremendous pride. Throughout one of the most trying periods in our nation’s history and amid our recovery from the pandemic, our students have once again demonstrated their strength and that they have so much to contribute to our country. Thanks to them, I know America’s future is bright.”
The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service and leadership.
Of the 3.7 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,000 candidates qualified for the 2022 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT or ACT exams or through nominations made by chief state school officers, other partner recognition organizations and YoungArts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.
As directed by Presidential Executive Order, the 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 scholars in the arts and 20 scholars in career and technical education.
Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored more than 7,900 of the nation’s top-performing students. The program was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.
The Presidential Scholars Class of 2022 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer with an online recognition program.
A complete list of 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars is available at www.ed.gov/psp.
Union County College, Cranford
Mark Farag of Elizabeth, a student at Union County College in Cranford, has been selected as one of 100 recipients of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. This award will provide Farag with up to $55,000 a year to complete his bachelor’s degree.
Farag is majoring in engineering and has a 3.92 GPA. During part of his time at Union College, Farag has served as the president of Phi Theta Kappa honor society, is an American Honors student, and tutors students in the college’s academic learning center, all while working full-time to support himself.
Farag currently serves as an ambassador for NASA’s Lucy mission. He has participated in two programs for NASA’s L’Space Academy, where he chose and designed components for spacecrafts to study Venus. He hopes to pursue this as a career, starting with an associate’s degree from Union and then a bachelor’s in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering. With this degree, he plans to become a project manager aerospace engineer.
“We are proud of Mark’s determination and achievements during his time at Union. His commitment to pursuing his dreams is a great example for our students. We are grateful to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation for recognizing Mark and students like him at community colleges, and that they are providing these outstanding students with an opportunity to finish their degrees debt free,” said Union’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.
New Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year college and preparing for their careers. Along with financial support, scholars will additionally receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding, as well as connection to a thriving network of nearly 3,000 Cooke Scholars and alumni.
“Today, almost half of all college students begin their academic career at a community college. We know our community colleges are full of high-achieving students, and we’re committed to playing our part to ensure those students succeed,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “Congratulations to a cohort of students who have persisted in the midst of such unprecedented disruptions in our lives. We welcome you into our community and look forward to learning alongside you.”
Farag is the fourth recipient from Union College. Previous recipients were Nuno Pereira of Hillside, in 2015, McDaniel Jeantus of Maplewood, in 2016, and Kamilla Kocsis of Rahway, in 2020. This year, more than 1,200 students from 332 community colleges applied to receive the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Four semifinalists were selected from Union College.
For more information about Union, visit www.ucc.edu and for more information on the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, go to www.jkcf.org.
Westfield Public Schools
Westfield High School students continue to be honored for academic and artistic achievements in recognition of their hard work and dedication to furthering their education.
Eleventh grader Mattia Butera will attend the Governor's School of Engineering and Technology this summer at Rutgers University. As a selected Governor's Scholar, he will take four academic classes and complete a research/design project with a team of students.
Tenth grader Skyler Lipkind will receive the 2022 NJ Governor's Award in Arts Education on Thursday, May 26, with approximately 100 students and 15 arts leaders across the state.
And three 11 graders earned perfect scores on recent ACT and SAT subject tests:
Matthew Christian (ACT English — April 2022),
Cooper DelGandio (SAT Math — March 2022), and
Audrey Jones (ACT Reading — February 2022).
Student and School news appears on Saturdays. Email: cnmetro@mycentraljersey.com
Carolyn Sampson is Executive Office Assistant for the Courier News, The Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com, and handles the weekly Student News page.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ students: Edge named recipient of Service Learning Leadership Award
