Schools

Four Get $1,000 Jr. Women's Club Scholarships

West Morris Central High School seniors awarded for excellence in community and academics.

Four recently received scholarships from the Long Valley Junior Women’s Club to put toward their future educational endeavors.

The scholarships were awarded in the memory of two LVJWC members who have passed away; Kathleen Avellino and Marcia Trethaway.

A selection committee of LVJWC members Michelle Baron, Christine Bodon-Daly, Tricia Hayes and Donna Selvaggi interviewed candidates and chose the recipients of the awards, which totaled $4,000. The LVJWC was one of 45 local community sponsors and donors that gathered to honor 65 exceptional students from the class of 2012.

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Each award was given in recognition of a student’s commitment to community service, leadership, school involvement, and academic achievement. Four awards were given in all, each in the amount of $1,000. “The accomplishments and aspirations of these graduates reflect the spirit in which each of these awards was established. It was an honor to call their names to accept them,” commented Dina Carmelengo, Juniors’ Education Department Chairperson.

“Attending the awards night was a wonderful way to cap off the difficult selection process,” said Hayes. Students receiving the Kathleen Avellino Memorial Scholarship were Mary Natalia Seals, Dillon Schade, and Avery Shannon. Maryssa Ramsey was awarded the Marcia Trethaway Music Scholarship.

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has achieved both the Honor Roll Award and High Honor Roll Award consistently. She was also awarded a Varsity Letter for field hockey.  She has been involved with and the Breast Cancer Walk, both organized to raise money for cancer. Mary has her own garden stand and works at a bakery part-time. In addition to her successful sports career at West Morris playing field hockey, lacrosse, and track, she referees for field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. She will attend the Culinary Institute of America.

Dillon Schade is a Certified Emergency Medical Technician on the Long Valley First Aid Squad. He also raises Seeing Eye dogs for The Seeing Eye Foundation. This one-time Missionary to Guatemala also spends his time working with Habitat for Humanity. He even has time to coach young members of the Long Valley Track Rec Program who are diagnosed with Autism. Dillon has also achieved Honor Roll and High Honor Roll. He was on the wrestling team and rose to Captain of his track and field team. He is the owner of his own landscaping business, works part-time, is a senior leader of his Church Youth Group and is starting up a guy’s volleyball team at West Morris. Dillon will attend SUNY Binghamton.

Avery Shannon’s academic achievements include High Honor Roll, International Baccalaureate Candidate, National Honors Society, and Spanish Honors Society.  She has volunteered on Junior Reach for incoming freshman, Relay for Life, Common Sense for Animals, Highlanders for Humanity, Antler Ridge Animal Sanctuary, and is a Long Valley Juniorette. School activities included Debate Club, Bowling Club, History Club, Book Club, Science League – Chemistry, Relay for Life Planning Committee, and Recreational Soccer Team. Avery’s awards include Drama Club, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine – Adventures in Veterinary Medicine, and the Northwest New Jersey Debate League.  Avery has also worked part-time at the Complete Player Baseball Academy, Pizza Hut, and Plaza Family Care. She plans to attend University of Richmond.

The winner of this year’s Marcia Trethaway Music Scholarship, Maryssa Ramsey, has dedicated her time to a myriad of musical ventures: Women’s Ensemble, Concert Choir, County Choir, North Jersey Regions Choir, Allstate Women’s Choir, Voice Recital, YPB, Church Choir, Hershey Music in the Parks Choral Competition, Spring Musical, The Howlers, and the Loreleis. Maryssa has been on the Honor Roll, High Honor Roll, has received the Choir Participation Certificate, and a Certificate of Participation in National History Day.  Community service includes volunteering at the Easton Homeless Shelter, Rise to restore houses for the less fortunate, DC Encounter to help the homeless, 30 Hour Famine and B-1 Fast to raise money and awareness for the hungry, and Relay for Life to raise money for cancer. She has been a Teacher’s Aide and teaches Vacation Bible School. Maryssa plans on attending James Madison University.

Information and photo provided by Dina Carmalengo of the Long Valley Junior Women's Club.


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