001How can we get Look at Let me get Oh my Let's see. I don't know. That's the preset. If I mess with these, I don't know what's going to happen. Yeah, there's presets. I mean, I can hit them and see what happens and go back to this one if it doesn't work. All right, let's see. Stay on the phone. [Laughter] How you doing? That's lower than it was, but Not. I mean, I got a couple more I can try if you want me to try them. All right. Okay. Help. It's okay. Yeah. Hallelujah. I don't know. [Music] Good evening and thank you for attending the Euing High school 2025 senior scholarship night. My name is Jen Anton. Tonight, our Euing High School seniors, class of 2025, are honored and supported in their next steps after
002Euing High School through the generosity and support of so many wonderful organizations and community partners. We thank you. We have a few housekeeping items to share as we begin tonight's programs. Restrooms are located directly across the auditorium. Please silence or turn off your cell phones. This evening's present presentation is being recorded by our IT department. It is currently being livereamed and will be available on the Euing Public Schools YouTube channel. A list of tonight's scholarship recipients will be distributed at the end of the evening. Finally, in an effort to keep the program mo moving, we ask that speakers make their way to the podium once the presenter before them has finished. In addition, regardless of the size of your voice, we ask that all of the pres presenters use the microphone so that our IT
003department can pick up the sound without any difficulty. Lastly, please make the presentation please make the presentation to the student right at the podium. This year, we will begin our ceremony with remarks from our superintendent of schools, Dr. David Gentile and Euing High School principal, Miss Lisa Sabo, followed by the presentation of our scholarships. In the event that a student was unable to attend this program, we will ensure that they receive their honors from tonight's program. At this time, please warmly welcome to the podium our superintendent of schools, Dr. David Gentile. Thank you very much, Dr. Anton. I was trying to model being prompt to the stage for all of our presenters tonight. All right, so good evening everyone. Parents, uh so nice to have everybody out. Um I'd like to start if I can
004by just recognizing our board of education members that are in attendance uh for their continued commitment and support to our students and our schools and and the success of the UN public school district. So, uh Mike and Jen Miller, I believe I saw you guys in the back. Give them a round of applause, please. Uh, and in front down here we have Mr. Dan Andrant. Balden is with us and Miss Deb Dudes. Um, I'd also like to thank any of the other dignitaries that are here this evening as well as our parents for sure. Um, I always ask that the students, we start off by giving the parents, caregivers, all the grandparents, and everybody who's in your team that's helped you get to this point, give them a round of applause, please. So, I'm excited
005uh to welcome everyone to the Euing High School Senior Awards Banquet for the class of 2025. Uh tonight we come together to recognize a group of exceptional young folks uh whose achievements academically, artistically, athletically, and otherwise have really set them apart. This is an extraordinary group of young people. I've had the chance to meet many of them, if not all of them. Uh and I can tell you that they're going to do great things for the world. Um each of them has shown remarkable commitment and perseverance. Uh they've worked very hard and led by example, navigated challenges with a level of resilience that speaks to their strength of character and probably the ability to function on very little sleep. Uh this evening is not only a celebration of their accomplishments, but also a recognition again
006of the families, caregivers, and support folks that have helped them get here, as well as the educators along the way. Um, success rarely happens alone, as you know, and tonight is a shared victory. As a parent of a recent graduate myself, I I know the emotions that are in the room tonight. Pride, excitement, uh, maybe a little bit of disbelief that it all went so fast. Uh, and yes, students, while your parents may no longer be the all- knowing experts they once seemed to be, uh, now having to compete with the Tik Tok experts or the Snapchat wisdom uh, for your attention, they remain your most loyal fans. And students, I want you to just remember this line here. So, tune in. Your parents are the rare few who truly want you to go further,
007achieve more, and do better than they ever did. No one else is going to want that for you but your parents and your family. Congratulations to each and every award recipient tonight. You've earned this moment and we can't wait to see what comes next. Congratulations and thank you for being here. It is now my pleasure to introduce Yuing High School principal, Miss Sabbo. [Applause] Welcome and thank you, Superintendent Gentile and Board President, Mr. Miller. The high school administrative team, our district supervisors, and our entire entire high school staff are extremely excited and pleased to have everyone together to celebrate the class of 2025. It's been a long, difficult road for our students. And now, as we prepare for commencement on June 19th, they are ready to go out into this world. I want you to
008know it has been an absolute pleasure having your children in our high school. Tonight is about honoring and recognizing the accomplishments and accolades of the Euing High School class of 2025. I am also extremely honored and privileged to stand here today as the new principal of Euing High School at this year's senior scholarship night, which is the comination of four years of high school to recognize the academic accomplish accomplishments of our students. Each student has worked tremendously hard to be here tonight overcoming obstacles and persevering in their specific areas. You, as parents, guardians, and grandparents should be so proud. You've spent 18 years waiting for this moment to be here. You did an amazing job raising these young men and women. Sit back and enjoy the evening and relish in your child's limelight as we
009begin our program. Now, I would like to bring up Miss Ellen Scott to present our first award of the evening. Good evening. I have to say I've been presenting this award for over 30 years and Every year when I come back to do this, I look at the assemblage of students who are about to receive unbelievable recognition and awards and I look at them and I think wow you did it again. They accomplished so much and they are so beautiful. I love to look at you. So having said that, I must thank the staff especially in guidance that makes presenting this award possible. I could not do this on my own. So thank you to my friends. So we're going to flip the tables a little bit. This is not a senior award. This is
010an award that was decided upon back in 1990 when my son Joshua was taken from us at the age of 14. And Josh was a great student and he was a great athlete, all kinds of things, and he probably would have been on stage at his senior night. But in spite of that, everybody who came to me and you know gave their sympathy at my loss, the thing that they all said was they would miss his character. They would miss the goodness of his person and they lamented many of them that they had never said that to him. So I thought, you know, that is a shame because I knew how wonderful he was. They knew how wonderful he was, but nobody was telling him. And I thought, well, the one thing I can do
011is find every year a young person who is similar in that way. And we can publicly recognize them and say, "Guess what? We think you are amazing. Not because of how fast you run or how well you read, but because of the person that you are. So, I am here tonight to present the Joshua Scott Citizenship Award and it is my pleasure to give this to a ninth grade young man by the name of Micah Braden Woodbridge. [Applause] They all have to hug me. So on behalf of Micah, I'm putting you all on notice. This is a person to watch and I recommend that you all tell everybody in your life how wonderful they are, too. So, thank you. [Applause] Hi, good evening everyone. So, I have the great privilege of announcing uh the recipient
012of this year's Universal Display Corporation Fled Scholarship. This is a $20,000 scholarship distributed over the course of four years, 5,000 per year. So UDC is a company that's right here in Euing. We're literally like 10 minutes away. And we focus on doing fundamental research of OLED materials. So OLED is if you've ever seen an OLED TV or an OLED screen on a phone, we work on the materials that make the light um out of that screen. And so along with doing really cool science, we at UDC also aim to support those in our community that share our passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. And so I'm really excited um about this year's recipient who has excelled both academically and within extracurricular activities and has showcased a true passion to answer fundamental questions that are
013so prevalent in the in the STEM fields. So congratulations, Ethan Valooki. We're very excited to support your bright future pursuing [Applause] Good evening. My name is Ellen Davila. I'm the librarian here at Euing High School and I'm here tonight to give out an award um that is for the EHS Sun Fund, also known as the Edward Shmeal Memorial Award. The Sun Fund is a collection that we take up as a faculty and staff each year. Um and it's used to support our fellow staff members through births, marriages, deaths, and other things so we can support one another with small gifts. um and encouragement. And last year when um our former principal Ed Schmeal, his father passed away, we decided that we wanted to honor him and honor his father's life by putting together a small
014memorial scholarship in his name. Ed Schmele senior uh worked as a in the auto body industry. He was a paint um painter. I don't know exactly what that's called anymore. Um but so we decided we wanted to um award a student in the graduating class who is either went through a vote program or is pursuing trades um and or that kind of industry. This year it is my extreme pleasure to award the EHS Sunfund award to Kendra Gomez who is studying nursing at Jersey College School of Nursing. [Applause] Good evening. Um, my name is and I am the financial center manager for Spencer Savings Bank which is located at the TCMG campus. Every year Spencer Savings Bank honors the scholarship winners and we've been doing this for over 20 years. And tonight, Spencer Savings Bank
015is proud to honor Jacob McNo and $1,500 college scholarship on behalf of our entire team at Spencer. Congratulations, Jacob, on all your hard work and academic achievements. We are very proud of you and continue to reach for the stars. And for the rest of you, have a good night and visit us at Spencer Savings Bank. Thank you. [Applause] Good evening. Um, this award is bittersweet as it's given in memory of our youngest son, Blake Alexander Wleski, who passed away unexpectedly in 2022. Blake was a vibrant, energetic nine-year-old boy who made friends wherever he went and had a joy for life. He attended Lore Elementary School and each on his report card. His teachers would consistently say that he was a good friend and a leader in the classroom. He was also involved at Riverstone Church
016and loved helping others. The follow my lead Blake Wleski Memorial Scholarship Award was established to help students who are pursuing post-secary education at a trade school or a college who consistently build positive relationships and actively serve others through the church or local community. I'm pleased and privileged to give this award tonight because I had the opportunity to see this student selected at the senior sunset on Friday and it was evident that sorry that she had both a joy for life and has built positive connections with both students and peers. The following leads memorial scholarship is awarded to Kiara Fernandez Baptist. She certainly earned it. So give this to you. The Lore Elementary School Alumnus Scholarship is awarded annually to a Lore School graduate who continues to walk the walk of Lur's unity program, living our
017words of respect, ownership, achievement, and responsibility. When this student attended Lore School, they were known as a gentle soul with a huge heart. They had a positive outlook that permeated any room they entered. Words used to describe this student included eager, hardworking, and diligent. One of the students elementary teachers recalls their bright smile, kind-hearted nature, and reli uh reliability, saying, "I could always count on them to lend a helping hand and do the right thing in any situation." This honor's first grade teacher, Miss Erns, said it best. I'm thrilled that this student is this year's Lore PTA scholarship recipient, a distinguished honor that's welld deserved. Thank you for bringing so much light and joy into my life during one of my most memorable years as an educator. I will never forget the impact you made
018and you will forever remain a Lore Lion. Your future so bright and nothing can stop you. I wish you all the best as you continue your learning journey. Since leaving Lore, this student earned awards and accolades for their academic and athletic success. They earned honor role from 2021 through present. Was a college board AP scholar with honors in 2024 and was recognized as a New Jersey star this year. The student athlete earned a Yuing swim varsity letter from 2022 through this year and earned most valuable swimmer award in 2023 and again this year. He served as high school peer leader this year. volunte volunteers through his church and in his spare time works at Pennington Quality Market. In the fall, the student plans to attend Stevens Institute of Technology where he hopes to learn the
019tricks of the trade and follow in his grandfather's footsteps to become an electrical engineer. This year's Lure School Alumnus Scholarship is awarded to Ethan Wleski. And in typical Ethan fashion, he actually has an event this evening. So we are going to allow him to leave. So thank you [Applause] The Parkway Elementary PTA is proud to present the Catherine T. Writing Scholarship Award today in the amount of $750 to Ava Lo. Your dedication throughout your years in the Yuing School community is inspiring. We know that moving forward, you will continue to soar to new heights. We wish you nothing but the best on your continued journey at TCJ for elementary education. Congratulations. [Applause] The William Antile Antile Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization recognizes two students, Emily Gamboa and Sydney Gonzalez. These students are the recipient of
020their 2025 $1,000 scholarship award. Emily Gambella will be attending Wentworth Institute of Technology and Sydney will be attending Penn State University Burks. Congratulations to you both. [Applause] Hi, good evening everyone. Aaron Duff. I'm here on behalf of the Defalco family specifically Devalco presenting the Ralph Dick award. One of the things that uh we look forward to every year uh and I'm gonna I'm gonna briefly touch on why um I was excited to kind of come tonight couldn't be here in a minute but uh every year we like to kind of give out this award um the memorial scholarship of Ralph. About 30 years ago u Rick and Ralph became very good friends. It was a long time of them working together which kind of uh resulted in their connection with each other. Ralph was an
021engineer, enjoyed a lot of hobbies, was extremely great with Ralph. But Ralph was one of those guys that was kind of um not really comfortable in his own skin, right? Kind of was kind a little bit on the outside, not really comfortable with people. But what I would say is that that friendship and brick uh really was a lifelong friendship and really kind of what uh the reason why this scholarship was set up. Um so Ralph kind of really helped us uh learn what it means to to be a friend. Uh and what I would say was the the reason why I was I wanted to try to come up here when Rick told me he couldn't come. was that you know they were friends for a really long time and Ralph didn't have any
022family and when he passed away he left all of his inheritance to Rick and said you know take care of your family do the right thing and Rick decided to take all that money and set up a scholarship fund didn't take a didn't help his kids go through college and he sharent I think it's a really cool story about friendship and taking care of you trying to once a year remember left us way too early. So he died of cancer back in 2007. So um that money has been really successful. Um been able to to do a lot with it. Um in the last 16 years we've been able to give out over a million dollars in scholions. So tonight, um we have uh 10 of you that are going to be getting So I'm
023going to ask uh we're going to do a group of five. So we'll do five to five, right? So that way you can kind of take a picture. But uh so I'm going to read the first five. You guys can come up [Applause] and Christy [Applause] Brewster. [Applause] Uh so the the next Um, Yasmin, Nicole, Henfield, Nal, Sila Mara, and Leah. And just as the last five comes up, I would just say that we're, you know, excited to see what you're going to do the rest of your lives and really, you know, make sure you keep your friends close and find an opportunity to give back. That's what it's all about. Thank you. [Applause] Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Lynn Low and I am the vice president for the EPE organization which
024is Yoing Public Education Foundation. And here with me today is Miss Peggy Scarada from Scarada family and this is our president Ramona Public Education Foundation. EPA is an independent nonprofit citizens organization dedicated to providing innovative educational experiences for students and the community of Yuing Township. We were established in 1995 and we are our main mission is to mobilize community support, concern, commitment and resources to help improve the quality of education in Yuing Township. In 2020, we started our first scholarship which was $500. Today we have given out up to eight to 10,000 scholarships each year with the help of the wonderful Spado family and the class of 1989. Today we are giving out eight scholarships. Miss Scar will give out the very first scholarship for scholarship. Leslie Sum Jada Athletic Leadership Scholarship $1,000 [Applause] Desiah
025Haristen Leadership Scholarship sponsored by $1,000 [Applause] Senu academics scholarship $1,000 [Applause] I'm here to present the next scholarship in loving memory of my father. My mom Khan was a civil engineer and valued education as being the basic foundation to continued success in life. He supported individuals here in the states and abroad. I hope to continue his legacy by presenting the next two scholarships today. First one is to Ann Christie Ro. [Applause] The next scholarship goes out to Ibraim Danica. Our [Applause] next scholarship, Isabelle Franuis, Community Service Leadership Scholarship, $,000 [Applause] leadership scholarship to Alame and Koya. [Applause] our way. Presidential Scholarship, $1,000. Sydney Gonzalez. [Applause] Good evening. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Uh, my name is Jagor Williams and I have the honor and privilege of being this year scholarship chairman for the Delta Upsilon
026chapter of the Omega Sci-Fi Fraternity Incorporated here in the greater Trenton area. Our cardinal principles are manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift. And our motto is friendship is essential to the soul. And in this same spirit of friendship, of scholarship, of uplift, it is my honor and privilege, it is our honor and privilege to be here this evening to recognize two of the winners of our 2025 collegiate scholarship award in the amount of $1,500 each. They're going to two of your outstanding student athletes here at Euing High. Um, and my brother Jeff is going to continue with the presentation. Thank you very much. Good evening, Gil again and good evening family. Um, first of all, a little bit of history. Uh, as Gil just stated, the fraternity was founded 1911 at Howard University. Um, I attended
027Howard University, graduated in 1980. In addition to that, I graduated from UA High School 1976. I'm looking forward to my 50th class reunion. I see one of my classmates out there. I'm not going to call him out. John Guz. All right. All right. But looking forward to joining you that day. But listen, I like to acknowledge board education, school administration, faculty, the guidance counselors, in addition to parents and coaches uh for the job that you've done here with these young um young people. It's uh it's just a uh a pleasure to see um them receive these honors. And again, congratulations to the class of 2025. We have two awards as stated previously and collectively throughout the county and Bucks County we awarded a total of six and two ended up coming through high school. So
028we're very proud of the scholastic achievements here. All right. First of all, Mr. Dante Brewster, please. Second, Mr. Caleb Brown, please come to the All right. At this particular time, I'd just like to take a point of privilege and just read something that I was able to uh obtain earlier this week. Graduation marks a significant milestone as you embark in new journeys, whether it's college, career, or beyond. It's crucial to be mindful of how technology can impact your success and well-being. Excessive cell phone use can become a behavioral addiction with potentially detrimental effects on your physical and mental health. Make sure your productivity at home is not negatively in school is not negatively impacted. Focus on mindful internet intentional use. It could be used to enhance your life, but it should not detract your life.
029Please recognize the impact on academics and productivity. Lastly, as you go out into the world, you are representing not only your family, but you ain't high school. Good luck. [Applause] Good evening. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the recipients of awards tonight. I am Patricia Reed and I am here to represent Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. A little bit about Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. It was incorporated as a private notfor-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. In alignment with this, we provide educational development. The Trenton Alumnic Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority awards me merit scholarships and book awards to outstanding high school graduates in the Mercer County area. Through this scholarship program, the Trenton alumni chapter of Delta
030Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, we have a awarded thousands of dollars to as to assist students with their uh further furthering their education. We are pleased tonight to pre present the Trenton Alumni Book Award to Olami Adakia. [Applause] Good evening everyone. My name is Carl Benedetti and I'm the president of the Township Democratic Club. And joining me this evening is our Euing Township Council President, Councilwoman Jennifer Keys Maloney. And on behalf of the EU Township Democratic Club, we want to congratulate all of tonight's honores. And I'd also like to recognize our treasurer, uh, Tony Stewart, who not only organizes everything for our award, but does so much for all these awards and for all the students throughout EU High School. So, please give Tony a quick round of applause. Angela Tales uh was a longtime vice
031chair of the Euing Township Democratic Committee. She was a public defender, fluent in the arts, and an educator. She fought for civil rights and sought to root out injustice everywhere. After her passing in 2013, our organization decided to name an annual scholarship in her honor. And since then, we've had the pleasure of delivering this award to a graduating Euing High School senior each year. This year's recipient embodies those same characteristics devoted to service and mentorship, active in music, and a scholar athlete. And Angela would also be proud to know that this individual will be attending Satan Hall University where she once served as an adjunct law professor. So this year's award of the Angela Tales Memorial [Applause] Good evening. I'm Carl Rezner. I'm the president of the Kuanas Club of Yuing. Uh on behalf of
032the Yuing Kuanas, I'd like to congratulate all the award winners tonight and all the other high school seniors. uh on their upcoming graduation. I know it's an exciting time moving into a new phase of your lives. Um I would like to congratulate all the teachers, school staff, parents, and families for their hard work uh to help the seniors get to this point in their lives. Guanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world. one child and one community at a time. Today, we stand with more than 550,000 members worldwide, including key clubs such as the one at Euing High School. Um, and uh, Circle K. Uh, we have a chapter at TCJ. Uh, the EU Kuanas awards are in the area of citizenship, scholarship improvement. There are scholastic improvement, scholarship, and volunteerism.
033Each year, uh, the Kuanas, Euan Kuanas awards the citizenship award to two members of the Euing High School senior class who demonstrate outstanding leadership and citizenship. Um, this year's recipients are Alexander Griffith Griffin. Congratulations. Can you stand up here after everybody together right there? And then we'll take one picture. Um, also, uh, Olivia P, uh, Pino Perno, [Applause] thanks to Alexander. Um, the Bruce White Memorial Most Improved Student Award is for the students who have shown uh most improvement during their time at Yuing High School. The scholarship was named after Bruce White who for many years was an educator. Um he served many years as a member of the Euing Board of Education and has been a driving force behind uh Kowanas projects that involve uh the Euing schools including our uh educa or our
034uh scholarship foundation. So this year's uh recipients are Dea Haristen [Applause] and uh J Jordan again. Uh the Yuing uh Kuanas Foundation scholarships um started about 30 years ago. Uh Since its inception, we have awarded approximately $130 uh,000 to 140 students. Um, the Kuanas Foundation scholarships are open to all high school uh seniors who reside in Euing. Um, this year's our recipients are Tegan Walker [Applause] Okay. And Olivia [Applause] We have another [Applause] Good evening. Um, this is my sister Pat Hart Pence. She's already had her 50th uh I'm not quite there. I'm with Jeff Sners. I'm 1976 grad. She preceded me in 74. Um, we're here to present the uh Jonath and Barban Guz scholarships. Um, I just want to echo again Dr. Jen Teal's remarks and my classmate Jeff Sumner's uh shout out
035to all of the support staff who helped these folks get here. Now, um, I was sent to the principal I was a little rep and I was sent to the principal and first and second grade and my support staff somehow got me to a point where I graduated and became successful. Now, full disclosure, the principal was my dad. Yeah, that that didn't work out so well for me. Anyway, dad started here in 1953 as a science and math teacher. He progressed through principal at Fiser Elementary and then on to assistant superintendent of schools. Mom was a second grade uh teacher at Alfred Reed um until her bundle of joy that would be my sister uh came along and she became a substitute teacher. Both of our parents uh valued community service. Uh my dad was
036a lifelong member of the Kuanas Club. My mom his passing during the Kuanas and was a member for over 30 years. Um this is our 36th year of giving out scholarships. Um we're happy about that. And to quote uh Dolly Levi of Hello Dolly who paraphrased Thornton Wilder who also paraphrased Francis Bacon. Um, bunny is like manure. It's only good if you spread it around and help young things grow. So, with that, [Applause] thank you so much, brother. So, we are really pleased to be here. This is a very, very exciting night. Uh, we feel you. We were on this stage years and years and years ago, but um it's great to see all of you. Congratulations. Congratulations to all involved. No matter how you're involved, you're all helping and helping the world become a
037better place. So, we do have two $1,000 scholarships and I will describe the person and then if the person could come up, if you don't know who you are, I will then give your name. You will be attending Rutgers New Brunswick next fall. There you will be studying nursing. Nursing is a caring profession and choosing this path shows a strong desire to help others and make a positive impact on people's lives, which you will undoubtedly do. Is there still a mystery? Uhhuh. You are children and then we have another person. We'll see if this person knows he who he or she is. You will be attending the College of New Jersey next fall. There you will study political science. During your years at Yuing High School, you were a varsity soccer player. As early as
038freshman year, soccer has been a passion of yours most of your life. And in the next chapter, you will continue to 100% whatever you invest your time in. And you must be Samantha Noble. [Applause] Good evening. My name is Shelica Jared. I am one of the assistant principles here at Yuing High School. I'm not representing EU High School tonight. I'm representing the Mercy County Board of Commissioners for the Mercy Community College Scholarship. This two-year scholarship program is intended to provide $3,200 in financial assistance towards students community college endeavors. This student exemplifies what strong character is, paves her own path, and possesses the drive necessary to excel beyond our school. Congratulations to Jacqueline Garcia for demonstrating academic achievement and a desire for continued education at Mercer County Community College. She will be pursuing a major in
039criminal justice and would have no doubts she will soar in this next chapter. Congratulations, Jacqueline. [Applause] Hello, my name is Rebecca Urban and I'm a trustee on the board of the Yung Township Historic Preservation Society, which is headquartered at the Benjamin Temple House on Federal City Road. The Violet Cox Memorial Scholarship was started by Donald Cox and many friends of the family 25 years ago to honor his wife. Both Violet and Donald served many years on the board of our organization and contributed much to our programs and mission. Throughout their lives, both Violet and Donald were very active in many civic and community organizations in Euing. Violet Cox was a teacher throughout her life, including teaching at Fisk, Lanning, and Fiser schools in Euing. She belonged to many historical organizations throughout New Jersey and was
040instrumental in establishing the Victorian Museum and the State House District both in Trenton. She served as an elected member of the Yung Township governing body and also served many years as our president. She helped established the Euing Township Historic Preservation Commission, which is actually a township organization, and worked to put many homes in Euing on the Euing Township Historic Registry. In honor of Violet Cox, we are presenting a $500 scholarship to a student in the graduating class who's indicated strong interest in the further study of history. We are very pleased to present the Violet Cox award to Alame Adeko. We are very proud of her accomplishments and wish her well in her college career. Congratulations. [Applause] Good evening again. Euing Township Administrators and Supervisors Association scholarship is for $500 to be awarded to a student
041who attended Euing Public Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade and who intends to pursue a major in career and education. This year's recipient will be continuing their studies at TCJ for mathematics and secondary education. Congratulations to this huge educator, Kelsey Raw. [Applause] Can you see me? Good evening. Uh, I'm Barry Lethitz Blackford and my wife said, "Keep it short." Uh for decades uh my family, my mom and dad had a memorial scholarship here for two individuals. Uh recently my sister Peggy uh passed away uh in March of 24 and we made a decision to expand it to four scholarships and for covering for four years at college. Uh let me tell you a little about my parents and sister um F. Kirby and Gaino and Peggy Blackford. Memorial Scholarship is to recognize four young people
042to carry on the legacy of my parents and uh sister who were individuals who made a significant contribution not only to society but here in Euing Township. My dad was twotime mayor of township and twotime committee member. He was a charter member and in fact past president of the Euing Kuanas which presented some awards here tonight and he was the founding member of the Euing Township Adult School. As a tradesman he was an inventor and he invented the hospital. And when you see ships landing on aircraft carriers, he invented the hook and the neck system for aircraft carriers. My mom, she was a woman ahead of her times. She truly was. She first of all in the 50s and 60s was the first woman to be elected to the Ying for education. Secondly, she was
043the dean of students at Douglas College, which is Rogers University, and the dean of students at Beaver College in Pennsylvania. She was also the regional director of the Putney Foreign Exchange. So she left quite a mark as an individual and left quite a mark on me as an individual. Her sister Peggy, she was an extraordinary woman in her own right, having served the US Department of State for 30 plus years and became one of the leading experts in the US government in East Africa. She served as an embassy officer in places like Kenya, Africa, which I had the opportunity to go on safari with her. Uh Paris, France, in which my wife and I spent 14 days and San Paulo, Brazil. She is the first woman to ever come up through the professional ranks of
044the US State Department to become an ambassador. In 1995, President Bill Clinton nominated her to be the ambassador of Guinea Bet. And after she finished that, she when she retired, she became a professor of international affairs. Now, each student that we're going to be honoring tonight, which there are four, will be receiving $4,000 for their four years in college. And each year, as long as you maintain C plus the checks will come. And so it's my honor to award their first checks tonight to first of all Ava Lo who's going to be a elementary education and I have to tell you my undergraduate work was there uh at TCMG Thank you. Uh, next is going to be Kelsey Roth, who is going to be majoring at science and we're going to be mathematics in secondary
045education. Our third honore, who I've seen step up here a number of times, uh, is, and I'm hoping I pronounce it correctly, Ola Mayday. [Applause] and you're going to Harvard and my sister would be really proud of you because you're going into public policy and international affairs. Yes. And then last but not least uh is Christian Siron And we have to go through the pitch. Good luck to all of you. The next three scholarships for this evening are sponsored by the Euing Township Education Association. First is the William Rakita Memorial Scholarship. William Rakita was a mathematics teacher and defensive backfield coach at Union High School. The awardee is recognized for trustworthiness, honesty, and dedication as a student athlete with a $750 award. This year's recipient is Tegan Walker. The Gilmore J. Fischer Memorial Scholarship. Gilmore
046J. Fischer was a pioneer of education in Euing Township, responsible for the expansion of Yuing public schools. The awardee is recognized for dedication to continued studies in the field of education with a $750 award. This year's recipient is Amanda Curtis. And finally, the ETA Association Scholarship. The ETA takes pride in working simultaneously with the parents, board of education, and the community. This $750 award is presented to a student who transitions flawlessly between academic communal activities and careerbuilding clubs. This year's recipient is Adam Kerma. [Applause] Good evening. I'm Barbara Brieet. I'm here representing Union Covenant Presbyterian Church. and Covenant Presbyterian Church who committed to the support of youth in our community is pleased to announce the reward of a $2,000 scholarship to Kendra Gomez and Ann Christie Redu [Applause] and Kendra. And Kendra would be ising
047on attending the Jerseys College School of Nursing, which I think we mentioned earlier this evening, and Christ will be going to Mercer County and majoring in helping to major in business. And we wish you congratulations. We wish you the best in all your future endeavors. [Applause] Hello, my name is Jim and I'm here with a couple of my classmates, Nancy and Reene, who were from the class of 1973. We recently had a class reunion and at the end of that we ended up on a couple hundred dollars. We weren't sure what to do with it, save it for the next party or give it to a charity. We decided to turn it into a scholarship and contacted our classmates once again and we were able to collect $3,500. So, we didn't want to we didn't
048want to make this scholarship a sports scholarship because it seemed like they got quite a few. You wanted to find someone who gave back to the community, worked with younger kids or older folks or special Olympics or something like that. And we found a person that fit the bill and that's Cy Gonzalez. [Applause] Thank you very much for having me this evening. My name is Olivia Perno. I am Debbie Marks Lakes's niece and so grateful to be here tonight. It is with great pride and aber aberation that I am here tonight to present the Debbie Marks Lake Foundation Scholarship also known as Debbie's dreams. My aunt was one of the finest student athletes that Mercer County ever produced. She was a three sport student athlete for Euing High School, excelling in soccer, basketball, and softball.
049She was a member of the Euing High School National Honor Society and attended Lasowl University on a scholar soccer scholarship where she graduated top of her class. My aunt sadly passed away in 2015 after a hard fought very hard fought battle with cancer. But along the way and still to this day, she reminds us all to love, laugh, always tell the truth, and be thankful. Her scholarship is presented to a Yuing High School female student athlete who demonstrates the same qualities as Debbie with regards to academic leadership and athletic achievements. This year's awardee is very special. We believe that she embodies all that Debbie represented. Her success and courage over the past four years as well as her Euing High School resume is nearly identical to my aunts. We know that Debbie would have been
050extremely proud of this senior. Therefore, we decided to in increase our award to $5,000. The student selected for Debbie Marks Lake Scholarship is not just an excellent student, but someone whom I've had the honor to share the soccer field with since we were nine. She has earned a spot in the top 10% of her class with a GPA of 4.46. She has continued to strive to be an active participant and leader in many school activities. She is National Honor Society president, a member of peer leadership, varsity soccer captain, and varsity softball captain. She is attending Wentworth Institute of Technology where she will be majoring in interior design and continuing to play soccer at the collegiate level. Most importantly, she's the courageous, kind, and inclusive. Congratulations to 2025 recipient of the Debbie Marks Lake Scholarship, my
051teammate and friend Emily Gamboa Orini. [Applause] Euing High School Faculty Fund Foundation Scholarship. It's a mouthful. The Euing High School Faculty Fund Foundation Scholarship is awarded to graduating members of the senior class who have shown improvement in the areas of academics and citizenship. Funds for the scholarship are raised by bi-weekly jeans days for staff and other faculty fundraisers. Just a side note, one of our TAs, Sharon Conover, fondly calls these Fridays shakedown Fridays and for a good reason. For that reason, will the following recipients please join me up here. Carson Bril, [Applause] Zion Figureroa. Congratulations, Naan P. [Applause] And finally, Wesley. [Applause] Good evening. We are honored to join you tonight on behalf of the UA Girls Softball Association to present a scholarship that recognizes more than just talent on the field. It honors dedication,
052teamwork, perseverance, and leadership. This year's scholarship recipient truly embodies everything we hope for in our athletes. Not only has she shown incredible skill on the diamond, she is also a leader in her school, a role model in her community, and a true example of what it means to work hard, stay humble, and chase your dreams with everything you've got. Whether she's diving for a ball, cheering from the dugout, or mentoring young players, she has always led with a great deal of heart and integrity. We know this special young athlete is heading into the next chapter of her life with big goals and we have no doubt she will continue to make us proud both on and off the field. With great pride, it is our pleasure to award the 2025 UN Girls Softball Association Scholarship
053to Miss Emily Gamboa Ordin. [Applause] Hello everyone. My name is Cindy Hutchinson. I'm one of the adviserss for the Yuing High robotics team. This is Andrew Haynes. He is a co-advisor with me for the robotics team. Um I also want to um apologize for the Johnson and Johnson lison. This is a Johnson and Johnson sponsored scholarship. She said she wish she could be here, but she wishes good luck to the recipient. The Rich Prospero Memorial Scholarship, generously sponsored by Johnson and Johnson, honors the legacy of Rich Prospero, one of the founding Johnson and Johnson men mentors of first team 2016, the Mighty Monkey Ranches. This thousand scholarship is dedicated to supporting students who embody Rich's spirit of innovation, teamwork, and perseverance in the face of challenges. In remembrance of Mr. Prospero, who bravely bravely battled
054pancreatic cancer until his passing in the fall of 2010. This scholarship aims to inspire the next generation of leaders and problem solvers who will carry forward his passion for engineering and community engagement. I'd like to call to the podium Ezra von Young. We are thrilled to honor our Rich Prospero Memorial Scholarship recipient, a remarkable young man who has truly transformed during his time as technical manager of the robotics team with an impressive 110% meeting attendance, often resulting in his mother waiting in the car for him to emerge from the workshop. He has demonstrated unwavering dedication to his team and peers. A proud member of the National Honor Society, he is set to embark on an exciting journey at Rutgers University this fall to pursue astrophysics. Ezra von Athley stated, "Since joining the mighty monkey wrenches,
055I've been given a place to break away from my reputation as the quiet kid and traded for a reputation as a responsible leader. With his infectious smile and newfound confidence, he embodies the spirit of innovation and teamwork that Rich Prospero championed, and we can't wait to see where his journey will take him next. Congratulations as well. [Applause] Hi, my name is Khan and I'm here to present on alumni scholarship. Sorry, my son couldn't be here. So, he wrote a little bit something. I'm going to read it. Probably going to make a lot of mistakes on it. My time on first team 2016 proved to be an inflection point in my life. My active engagement exposed me to phenomenal new concepts and the experience I have laid the foundation for my character today. I sincerely hope
056that my continued support will allow other young students to find their footing their identity, their aspirations for the future. And through this scholarship, I am to guide one individual to the apex of their formative years. This year's scholarship goes to Caleb Brown. [Applause] It's my distinct pleasure pres to present this evening's final award, which is the What's My Name Foundation Samantha Lee Josephson Scholarship. I would also like to thank the family who was here two weeks ago to present to our seniors um a very strong and poignant message. What's My Name Foundation is in honor of Samantha Josephson who graduated from Robinsville High School in 2015. Samantha was a young lady that lit up a room when she walked in. She made everyone feel important and special. Samantha was kidnapped and murdered when she got
057into a car that was impersonating an Uber at the University of South Carolina. The foundation was formed to educate the world on the ride share safety. It uses her nickname of Sammy. Stop before you get in the car. Please review the safety features. Ask before you get in the car. The driver, what's my name? Match the license plate and model before getting into the car. and inform. Share your ride details with a friend or loved one. Doing these four easy steps could save your life or someone that you care about. On behalf of Marcy and Seymour Josephson and the What's My Name Foundation, we are honored to award tonight's final scholarship to Zenzvi. [Applause] And finally, I hope you don't mind. I am going to go off script for a minute. I would like to
058thank I would actually like to echo Miss Scott's message of gratitude for our school counselors and the hard work they dedicated this evening to make this happen. Also, Dr. Jennifer Anton. This would not have happened without all of their work behind the scenes. Planning started months ago. So, please, one more round of applause for our school counselors and Dr. Anton. Wow, what a night. As we close tonight's program, we would like to congratulate all of the students here tonight along with their parents and guardians who have offered support throughout their your children's years of schooling. Thank you so much. Please help me thank all of our presenters for their time tonight as well as all of the amazing generation, excuse me, organizations who so generously honored our worthy students. We as a school community truly
059appreciate everything you do for our students. Lastly, we would like to thank the people who did a lot of work behind the scenes to make this night successful. The Euing High School culinary arts program and teacher, Mr. John Kokabinsky, for our delicious treats for everyone to enjoy at the conclusion of the program. BHS scholarship committee for all of their diligent efforts in selecting Euing High School's most worthy recipients. Euing High School's scholarship coordinators, Ms. Na Collins and Cooper Salon, [Applause] as well as our Euing High School support staff, Mrs. Deb Beck, Mrs. Ellen Everett and Ms. Tony Stewart for attending to every detail. The Euing High School custodial staff for always presenting Euing High School in its best light. And finally, the Euing Public Schools buildings and grounds department for always maintaining our outdoors so
060beautifully. Finally, congratulations to all of our scholarship winners and honores. We invite you to enjoy um refreshments outside the auditorium and take photos at the photo station to commemorate this moment. Safe travels home to everyone and have a good night. Thank you.