IN OUR SCHOOLS

Three Hunterdon Vo-Tech students chosen for Governor's STEM Scholars program

Staff Report
@MyCentralJersey

Three Hunterdon County Vocational School District (HCVSD) students have been named to the 2018-19 class of Governor’s STEM Scholars, a statewide STEM education initiative for New Jersey students in grades 10 through the doctoral level.

All three are enrolled in one of the district’s three full-time, science-based academies. HCVSD STEM Scholars include Maya Connors, a sophomore in the Biomedical Sciences Academy (BSA); Ashley Diem, a senior in the Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy (CSAEA); and Sabina Hobschaidt, a junior in the BSA.

The STEM Scholars Program was established through a public-private partnership among the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, the Governor’s Office, the New Jersey Department of Education and the Secretary of Higher Education to introduce high school and post-secondary STEM leaders to New Jersey’s vast STEM economy.

Hunterdon County Vocational School District boasts three STEM Scholars pictured, from left to right: Ashley Diem, Sabina Hobschaidt, and Maya Connors.

Only 80 students made the cut from a pool of nearly 500 applications. The Research and Development Council of New Jersey used criteria, including character, leadership ability and STEM aptitude to select the 2018-19 class.

Connors, from Bethlehem Township, aspires to become either a biomedical engineer or a prosthetist. She participated with her BSA peers last year in the Rutgers Oncology Olympiad and took the initiative to explore biomedical-related careers this past summer by volunteering at St. Luke’s University Hospital. She hopes that her experience as a STEM Scholar allows her to learn more about research practices and careers.

Diem of Kingwood Township, plans to major in mechanical or aerospace engineering with an additional focus on business and criminal justice. Her dream job is to work for the FBI. She was also recently recognized for her interest and achievement in STEM with the Rensselaer Medal Award, a premier merit scholarship offered by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute worth $100,000. She mentors her peers in the CSAEA and takes an active role to recruit more female students into STEM, seeking out opportunities for leadership conferences and professional development opportunities geared toward females. As a STEM Scholar, she hopes to continue making connections that will lead to additional learning and career development opportunities.

Hobschaidt of Pittstown, says that her dream job would allow her to help people thrive by treating the whole person, which would include education about health and medicine in addition to diagnosis and treatment. She anticipates studying biology or chemistry, with a minor in Spanish, and then going on to medical school. She also participated with her BSA peers in the Rutgers Oncology Olympiad and has volunteered at Hunterdon Medical Center. Over the summer, she participated in a National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) on Psychology and Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School. As a STEM Scholar, she hopes to further network with peers interested in STEM and leaders in the STEM fields as she anticipates opportunities for future collaboration and innovation.

As STEM Scholars, Connors, Diem and Hobschaidt participate in four themed conferences that introduce them to accomplished STEM professionals and successful STEM companies, academic institutions and government research organizations. They attended the first of these conferences in September, hearing from STEM leaders working across the state. The STEM Scholars also will take field trips to research and development facilities across the state, meet with New Jersey policymakers and engage in a team research project.

“The Biomedical Sciences Academy has definitely prepared me for an opportunity like the Governor’s STEM Scholars Program, because I have already been learning about interesting, medical science; challenging myself with college-level material; and adopting a responsible and independent leader-like mindset,” Hobschaidt said in a district news release. 

Applications are now available for all three full-time, science-based HCVSD academies by visiting the district website at http://www.hcvsd.org and following hyperlinks to view the online submission tool. In addition to the BSA and CSAEA, the district also offers an Environmental Sustainability and Engineering Academy. Eighth-grade students have until Dec. 15 to apply.

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Bishop Ahr High School

On Nov. 5, the 20th Annual Bishop Ahr High School Grammar School Competition took place at the Edison-based school, where students have “Infinite Possibilities” to develop their academic, athletic, spiritual, creative, and social potential.

Eleven grammar schools from the Diocese of Metuchen came together to be challenged by various scholastic and athletic competitions. The competition was organized by Campus Minister Sr. Cynthia Babyak, Athletic Director  Michael Wolfthal, Associate Principal Harry Ziegler, Assistant Campus Minister, John Roche and many BGA faculty, staff, and student ambassadors who volunteered their time to assist with the activities.

Each event of the competition had three team winners. There was also first-, second-, and third-place overall school winners. The overall school team winners were: First Place: St. Matthias School; Second Place – St. Matthew, Immaculate Conception School, St. Bartholomew, and St. John Vianney; Third Place – Holy Savior Academy, and St. James.

Delaware Valley Regional High School

Twenty-eight Delaware Valley High School woodworking students got an inspiring look at greatness on Nov. 1. Teacher Josh Paul took them to the Nakashima House, Studio and Workshop outside New Hope, Pennsylvania.

With Mira Nakashima are Del Val woodworking teacher Josh Paul and senior Jack Bender, who is currently working on a Nakashima-influenced project.

George Nakashima (1905-1990) began designing and building furniture in Bucks County in the 1940s and, Paul said, is universally regarded as one of the greats of woodworking.

Nakashima’s daughter Mira carries on as proprietor and designer, honoring her father’s legacy while blending in her own ideas.

One group of students was guided by Mira Nakashima, and the other was guided by David Long, director of the Nakashima Foundation for Peace. Del Val art teachers Jason Farnsworth and Sarah Ruppert also chaperoned the trip, asking questions to maximize the experience. Ruppert took the photos that accompany this report.

Paul said, “The students — mostly Wood 3’s and 4’s — got to see a famous woodworker’s legacy that is still being produced using the techniques of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, combining machines and hand tools.”

He wanted the students to become acquainted with the work of “a man who learned woodworking in a Japanese internment camp in the 1940s and became a historically important artist and woodworker. He adapted some of the oldest techniques and made a marriage of the Japanese and European traditions to create a new American style,” he said.

That is Nakashima’s gift to the world, and his heirs don’t mind that “people knock off Nakashima all the time,” Paul said. Some of those people are hard at work in Del Val’s wood shop. Jake Norgard, Jack Bender and Tylor Blake are incorporating the Nakashima influence into their projects.

Also influenced is junior Brandon Schuetz, a Woodworking 3 student. The sight of Nakashima’s “humongous barn filled with so much lumber was awe-inspiring,” he said.

The buildings, tables and other furniture Nakashima made were “amazing, and made that (a woodworker) something you want to be.” Becoming a professional woodworker is a possibility for Schuetz, but the creation of a Nakashima-style chair in the Del Val wood shop is a probability for next year.

Paul says the Nakashima philosophy is, “The function is in the creator, and the form is in nature.” The woodworker has an intimate, hands-on involvement with the process “and you don’t get that running a CNC (computer-controlled) router over a piece of wood.” He noted that the Nakashima woodworkers can afford to lavish time and skill on each piece because their customers “are the 1 percent.”

ALSO: Holland Township resident Clare Erwin, a Del Val sophomore, won the annual Voice of Democracy speech contest, which is sponsored by the Frenchtown-Milford VFW. The honor comes with a check for $500, presented to her on Nov. 2 by William Testa, quartermaster for the local VFW.

William Testa of the Frenchtown-Milford VFW came to Delaware Valley High School on Nov. 2 to distribute a $900 purse among the winners of the Voice of Democracy speech contest. They are (from left) Nicole Planer, Clare Erwin and Karla Jenkins.

This year’s theme was “Why My Vote Matters.” Receiving the second prize of $300 was Milford junior Karla Jenkins, and $100 for third prize went to Kingwood sophomore Nicole Planer.

According to history teacher Jim Kluska, there were almost 70 entries from the Del Val district, which corresponds to the local VFW’s turf. He is supervisor of the Social Studies and World Languages Department at Del Val, and the school’s Voice of Democracy coordinator. He is a former Army Ranger captain. Dr. Testa is a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, his service including duty as a helicopter door gunner. Erwin’s speech will go on to compete at the county level.

ALSO: Environmental Science got out of the classroom and out into the world for a couple of days in mid-October.

Taking a deep dive into the health of Lockatong Creek in Kingwood Township, the Environmental Science students of Delaware Valley High School were glad to get out of the classroom and into the environment.

Teacher Stacy Grady took her AP and college-prep Environmental Science students to Kingwood Township Park to give Lockatong Creek a checkup.

A science lesson is more vivid when you are “out there and standing in the stream as it’s flowing,” said Del Val senior Ashley Diem.

The students analyzed physical stream properties such as temperature, stream velocity, turbidity (murkiness), and they created a stream profile. They measured the chemical properties of the stream such as dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, alkalinity, pH, salinity and total dissolved solids. Then they looked to see what organisms reside in the stream. Some organisms are more tolerant of pollution than others, and depending on how many and what kinds of organisms they found, the data would tell how healthy the stream is.

Students are taking all of the data from the living and non-living parts of the field study to determine the overall health of the Lockatong Creek in the section that runs through Kingwood Park, Grady said.

Some of the creatures they found included crayfish, small minnows, a giant water bug, a dragonfly larva, and lots of small nymphs of various aquatic insects such as mayflies and caddisflies.

This exercise “is a great way to take what we've been discussing in a theoretical situation and apply that knowledge in a real-life situation,” Grady said. “It also provides students experience using some of the equipment that scientists use in field studies.” 

Hamilton College

 Isabella Nichol of Bernardsville was the head puppeteer in the Hamilton College Fall Theatre production of "King Stag," written by Carlo Gozzi and directed by Professor of Theatre Craig Latrell at the college in Clinton, New York.

Immaculata High School

A few dozen senior citizens at Centerbridge II in Bridgeater are a lot “smarter” about their phones, thanks to an innovative program run through the Campus Ministry Program at Immaculata High School in Somerville. 

Kate McHale helps a Centerbridge II resident with her phone.

Recently, a few students, accompanied by title Rich Grieshaber, went to the senior citizen housing facility and met with residents who signed up to learn more about their SMART phones. 

“We divided the groups into those who needed help with texting, photos, emails, and other phone features and each one of our student “experts” met with a group.  Within an hour the residents had resolved their questions and were thrilled at how easy the students had made it seem,” Grieshaber said.

Next the group headed off to selected areas with Centerbridge personnel, where the students tackled issues with WiFi, printers, and computers. The students again impressed those participating with their knowledge and gracious assistance.

Isabelle LaRoche and Sydney Jaderlund work on computers.

By the time the Spartans were ready to leave, Centerbridge II Program Director Laura Delia greeted them, relating the accolades of the even “SMART”er residents and an invitation to come back in late November for another session. “One of the residents even said to me, ‘this changed my life!’ Some of our people who could not come the last time are eagerly awaiting the return of the Immaculata students.  We were very appreciative of their help.”

Immaculata freshman Sydney Jaderlund echoed the residents’ feelings. “We had so much fun teaching everyone and can’t wait to do it again.”

Mount Saint Mary Academy

Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung conducted its Forensics Meet on Saturday, Oct. 27. The following members of the Mount team achieved or surpassed the required score in their respective category, according to team coach and Spanish teacher Marian Senior: Declamation: Rachel Mack, sophomore of North Plainfield; Duo: Christina Appiah, senior of South Orange and Cecilia Guarnuccio, junior of  Westfield; Drama:   Ariana Salerno, freshman of Watchung and Emily Abbott, freshman of Piscataway; Oral Interpretation: Ashleigh Cotter, junior of Cranford, Pilar Paradiso, junior of Cranford, and Melanie Valliciergo, junior of Kenilworth; Original Oratory: Caroline DiGrande, senior of Warren, Christina Tillinghast, junior of Watchung, and Grace Hogan, junior of Westfield; Extemporaneous Speaking: Grace Schleck, senior of  Metuchen.

Pictured, left to right are: (front) Francesca Fazio, Ariana Salerno, Christina Appiah, Caroline DiGrande, and Grace O’Neil; (middle) Pilar Paradiso, Christina Tillinghast, Grace Schleck and Rachel Mack; and (back) Melanie Valliciergo, Grace Hogan, Emily Abbott and Ashleigh Cotter.

ALSO: On the afternoon of Oct. 29, members of the Mount Saint Mary Academy HOPE Club (Helping Other People Everywhere) gathered to write thank-you notes to service men and women in Iraq where a Mount graduate is on reserve duty.

Helpful Hands of HOPE and Alumnae Reach Out to Graduate in Reserves

Donna Venezia Toryak, director of admissions and HOPE Club Advisor, said the students completed 38 notes and collected 25 tubes of toothpaste.

JoAnn Minnicino, class of 1974, president of the Mount Saint Mary Academy Alumnae Association, had kept in touch with Yvonne Zirrith, class of 1990, a Navy reservist, but had not heard from her recently. She wanted to see if there was something she could do to help her and her family.

Zirrith enlisted in January of her senior year at Mount Saint Mary Academy. She was commissioned in November 2009 and is now a lieutenant. She is currently deployed in Kuwait and Iraq.

“I sent an email to alumnae to ask them to bring toothpaste to the Alumnae Association meeting that evening. Mrs. Toryak responded too and asked if the HOPE Club could collect items and write letters as well,” Minnicino said.

She also reached out to Isabel Gachko, director of Theology and Campus Minister, to rally students in the Mount’s religion classes to have them write letters of encouragement.

Minnicino also mobilized the efforts of Diane Leech, class of 1961, and alumnae who live in the area of the graduate serving in the Reserves to see if they could coordinate meals for the family. Sister Carol Conly, RSM, will also coordinate the Mercy Associates to see if they can prepare meals, too.

“My family is making a collection at Thanksgiving along with the little kids making cards and drawing pictures,” she said. “My doctor is donating candy and my dentist is donating toothbrushes."

ALSO: Piscatway resident Gabriella Robinson, a freshman at Mount Saint Mary Academy, has earned her Girl Scout Silver Award for her Take Action Project, which involved volunteering at the Highland Park Food Pantry and Elijah’s Promise in New Brunswick according to the Girls Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey.

Gabriella Robinson of Piscataway earns Girl Scout silver award

Driven to help reduce hunger in Central Jersey, Robinson, who is a member of Girl Scout Troop 80877 in Piscataway of the Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey, has volunteered since 2016 primarily at the Highland Park Food Pantry as well as the Veterans Association, and The Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside.

She partnered with Celgene in Summit, as well as, Conackamack Middle School and Martin Luther King Intermediate School in Piscataway for a Thanksgiving Drive in 2017. Additionally, she has volunteered multiple years for the Thanksgiving Food Drive at Abundant Life Family Worship Church in New Brunswick. A volunteer at Elijah’s Promise in New Brunswick since July 2018, she is working on the United States Congressional Service Award.

Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child

Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit has become a partner of STOP. THINK. CONNECT., a global online safety awareness and education campaign.

“Learning how to be safe online is a necessary skill for our students, faculty, staff and families,” said Alex Podchaski, chief technology officer at the school, in a news release. “It is a responsibility that we all share to ensure our children and families are safe and secure online. We need to make sure everyone knows what to do, where to go for help and what resources are available to learn how to do things right.”

STOP. THINK. CONNECT. was launched in October 2010, with messaging created by a coalition of private companies, nonprofits and government and leadership provided by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Anti-Phishing Working Group. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security leads the federal engagement of the campaign. In September 2016, the campaign expanded to include Lock Down Your Login, a STOP. THINK. CONNECT. initiative led by NCSA and the White House to empower Americans to secure their online accounts.

The STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign encourages everyone to take security precautions, understand the consequences of their online actions and enjoy the benefits of the internet with more peace of mind.

“Every person and organization has a role to play in promoting a safer, more secure and more trusted internet,” said Michael Kaiser, NCSA’s executive director. “We are grateful to our hundreds of STOP. THINK. CONNECT. partners for their commitment to educating the public and helping build a culture of cybersecurity, online safety and privacy awareness at home, at work and in their communities.”

Announced during National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Oak Knoll plans to use STOP. THINK. CONNECT resources throughout the year to supplement its current digital citizenship curriculum, according to the news release.

Raritan Valley Community College

Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Branchburg and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) have entered into a new agreement that will offer RVCC graduates the opportunity to seamlessly transfer to TCNJ to continue their studies in Exercise Science.

The new agreement will enable students who receive an Associate of Science in Exercise Science from RVCC to transfer into TCNJ’s Health and Exercise Science (HES) Program for the Exercise Science track. According to the agreement, RVCC students may transfer with junior status into the HES Bachelor’s Degree program, as long as all outlined courses, program requirements, and minimum grade point average standards are met. RVCC students may transfer up to 64 credits to TCNJ.

“The new agreement with The College of New Jersey provides our Exercise Science students with a wonderful opportunity to complete their Bachelor’s Degree at a highly competitive NJ college, helping them stand out to potential employers in the fitness industry,” said RVCC President Michael J. McDonough in a new release. “RVCC is committed to providing our students with educational pathways to continue their higher education and prepare for successful careers in today’s competitive job market.”

“The TCNJ HES Department has been impressed with the quality of students coming from RVCC. We hope that this articulation agreement encourages more RVCC students to consider TCNJ for their four-year degree,” said Dr. Anne C. Farrell, Professor/HPET Coordinator/HES Department Chair, School of Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science, TCNJ.

The Exercise Science major at TCNJ prepares students for a focused area of study in the applied sciences. The academic program concentrates on basic and applied physiology (at introductory and advanced levels), anatomy and kinesiology, biomechanics and nutrition and metabolism. Graduates of the program have successfully completed graduate programs in medicine, health sciences (e.g.   physical   and occupational therapy, chiropractic, nutrition, etc.) and research.  

Rotary Club of the Plainfields

Teams of Rotarians and volunteers are fanning out to the three elementary schools in North Plainfield and the 10 elementary schools and three charter schools in Plainfield during October and November to give a dictionary to every third grade student. A total of 1,200 dictionaries are being presented, including Spanish-English dictionaries for ESL students.

Rotary Club members Aturo Cousar and Timothy Priano (right) present dictionaries to third grade students at Cook Elementary School in Plainfield.

“Our Dictionary Project for Plainfield and North Plainfield school children is in its twelfth year,” said Roberta Smith, president of the Rotary Club of the Plainfields.  “It is one of our most important and most successful community service projects because of its direct contact with so many young girls and boys in their classroom settings. All of our members feel the same way — our hearts are warmed by the smiles and even cheers when we announce the gift and present the dictionaries to each student. This project is so important to the education of our children, and we are proud to play our part.”

The Rotarians take the opportunity to teach the children about service to the community, both local and worldwide. 

"I like to involve the students by first asking for help defining "rotate" and "club"," said Michael Townley, club secretary. Townley is on the ATM Team, along with Aturo Cousar from Investors Bank and Timothy Priano of ABTP Services. Their team presented  dictionaries at the Cook, Cedarbrook, and Evergreen schools in Plainfield. "After hearing some excellent responses, I have a student read each definition from their dictionaries, and show them that “rotary” and “rotate” have almost the same definition. 

The dictionaries are purchased through The Dictionary Project, Inc., a non-profit created in 1995 in South Carolina. The Dictionary Project’s mission is to put a dictionary in the hands of every third grade student in the United States. Since its founding, more than 27.2 million dictionaries have been presented to children across the U.S.

Somerset County Commission STEM program

Seventy-five girls from schools throughout Somerset County participated in the third annual STEM program sponsored by the county Commission on the Status of Women. It was conducted Oct. 27 at the Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School in Bridgewater.

Freeholder Pat Walsh, seated at far right, is pictured with girls who participated in the third annual STEM program sponsored by the Somerset County Commission on the Status of Women. Also pictured, at left, are SCCSW Commissioners Stella Ayala, Smriti Agrawal and Aparna Virmani; at right are Commissioners Beverly Briggs-Lawson, Vaseem Firdaus and Marti Kalko, and Commission Chair Janice Fields.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for these girls to learn about potential careers and to practice teambuilding skills that will serve them in the future,” said Freeholder Patricia Walsh, commission liaison, in a news release.

The program is designed to encourage seventh- and eighth-grade girls to prepare for future success in science, technology, engineering and math fields. The participating girls were from the Bernards, Bernardsville, Bound Brook, Branchburg, Bridgewater-Raritan, Franklin, Green Brook, Hillsborough, Montgomery, North Plainfield and Warren school districts.

Program sponsors this year included ExxonMobil, RWJBarnabas Health and the Somerset County Library System.

There also was a panel of successful STEM women who provided insights, answered questions and discussed possible mentoring opportunities. They included Amy Clingenpeel, a senior research scientist at ExxonMobil; Courtney A. Mitchell Abana, a senior chemical engineer at ExxonMobil; and Shazia M. Siddique, M.D., a gastroenterologist and health services researcher at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

“Everyone on the commission was passionate about this program and we all worked together to make it a success,” said commission member Vaseem Firdaus, tolling manager at ExxonMobil. “It was a very rewarding experience to see the excitement among these young women and feel that we may have contributed to some of them choosing STEM careers. We hope to see some of them become leaders at major companies someday.”

The Commission on the Status of Women serves as an advisory board to the Board of Chosen Freeholders to address present and potential needs of women and to develop a greater public awareness of women’s issues. For more information, email sccswomen@gmail.com or visit the commission’s webpage at http://www.co.somerset.nj.us/women.

The Educational Services Commission of New Jersey

Special education administrators statewide responded enthusiastically to the first offering from the Special Services Professional Development Academy (SPDA), a new shared service from the Middlesex County-based Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ).

The “Academy Initiation Mini Conference” drew more than 70 Child Study Team case managers from as far as Bergen and Camden counties, to ESCNJ’s Piscataway campus.

The keynote speaker for the SPDA conference was Kathleen Rotter, who led a comprehensive “Managing the IEP Meeting,” workshop.

The IEP (Individualized Education Program) is the legal document mandating public schools to meet the special needs of students as defined by state and federal law.

Rotter, a retired associate professor at The College of New Jersey, has been an expert witness in more than 40 due process hearings pertaining to students with disabilities, and a speaker at numerous national and state conferences.

“Given the SPDA’s mission to identify best practices and promote greater collaboration among special education professionals, we were pleased with both the turnout and the quality of Dr. Rotter’s presentation,” said Assistant Superintendent for Learning/Ed. Services Gary Molenaar.

In September 2019, the ESCNJ will have completed construction on a new 50,000 square foot Future Foundations Academy, which includes two contemporary conference rooms with a 300-seat capacity.

Upcoming SPDA offerings include: Dec. 4: Seclusion and Restraint, Dr. Erik R. Solberg, Ph.D. BCBA-D;  Feb. 6: Current Legal Issues and Updates: Isabel Machado, JD; March 13: School Avoidance, Debra G. Salzman, Ph.D.; May 1: Mindfulness, Dr. Terry Burik and Dr. Aili Pogust

For additional information, contact Supervisor Sharon Marinello at s.marinelio@escnj.k12.nj.us, or 732-777-9848, ext. 6570.

ALSO:  First- and second-graders at NuView Academy in Piscataway were up to the challenge of dispensing with pencil and paper for the day and only using their Google Chromebooks recently during National Online Learning Day this year.

A school for higher functioning students ages 5 to 21 with significant behavioral challenges, the students used their Chromebooks for all classes, listened to stories online, located NuView Academy using Google Earth, and identified online manipulatives to solve math problems.

NuView Academy Teacher Nicole Elimini (a former Hybrid Learning Institute award winner for her contributions to personalized learning), said students enjoyed the day.

“National Online Learning Day recognizes the advantages and vast potential of online learning," Elimini said in a news release. “The students no problem completing all of their assignments online."

The NuView Academy is part of the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey, which provides services and programs for school districts statewide. The ESCNJ also operates seven schools in Middlesex County for student’s ages 3 to 21 with autism spectrum disorders, multiple disabilities, and at-risk behaviors. The largest Educational Services Commission in New Jersey, the ESCNJ coordinates transportation services for over 12,000 students across the state, and manages a 1,200 member Co-op Pricing System, the largest cooperative buying program in New Jersey.

Visit http://www.mresc.k12.nj.us/pages/Middlesex_Regional.

Union Catholic Veterans Day Ceremony 

Union Catholic's fifth annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 8 was a heartfelt and emotional tribute to those who served as the UC Community gathered on the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day to honor and remember all the sacrifices that veterans have made for their country.  

With U.S. flags surrounding the Veterans Memorial Pathway in front of the Scotch Plains-based school and a strong sense of patriotism and pride in the air, the ceremony, hosted by the UC Hearts For Heroes Club, saluted members of the UC Community who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as alumni, parents, relatives, friends of UC, and other veterans.

The ceremony began when Tim Breza, who served in the Air Force and is the moderator for Hearts for Heroes, welcomed everyone. Senior Katie Paltz, the vice president of Hearts for Heroes, led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Senior Shaun Keating, a peer minister at UC, delivered the opening prayer, and Union Catholic's Performing Arts Company sang the National Anthem. 

During the ceremony, UC seniors Lauren Power and Mia Bonadies, co-presidents of Hearts for Heroes, each delivered readings, Dr. Karen Piasecki, UC's Associate Principal and 1988 graduate of UC, said the Prayer of the Faithful and delivered other readings, UC Principal Sister Percylee Hart, RSM, delivered remarks, and the military anthems for each branch of the military were played.

The ceremony was especially emotional for the 28-year-old Jonathon Abel (Class of 2008), who served in the Marines for eight and a half years and was an airframe mechanic.

Abel was celebrating Veterans Day for the first time with his mother, UC staff member Shirley Abel, and it was the first time Mr. Abel spent Veterans Day at his alma mater.

"Members of the military are away from their families for a very long time, and I've been away from my mom for a very long time,'' said Abel, who recently moved to Plainfield from San Diego. "I've never been able to share any type of military thing with her, so to sit here with her and share this day with her is very important to me.''

Mr. Abel said it meant a lot to him to see Union Catholic's Veterans Memorial. 

"I really appreciate what Union Catholic has done with the Veterans Memorial,'' said Mr. Abel, who did tours in Afghanistan and Kuwait.  

"We as veterans might not voice it all the time, but we appreciate it. It's very nice for us to be reminded of what we've done because it was an amazing experience and something I'm very prideful about. Ceremonies like this makes me even more proud than I already am.''   

— By Jim Lambert

University of the Sciences

The following Central Jersey at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia were named to the summer dean's list: Ariana Abes, Anokhi Shah of Branchburg and Anika Fanlo of Green Brook. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.4

ALSO: Hannah Fisher of Flemington, took part in a special recognition ceremony for the Pharmacology/Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Sciences programs on Oct. 12 . In addition to donning a white lab coat, Fisher was among the school's students who also received a pin to reinforce their commitment to their chosen field of study.

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