2024 Scholarship Recipients

The 2024 SCHOLARSHIP TEA was held on MAY 20, 2024 MONDAY at STOCKTON EDUCATION CENTER at MORVEN. 3 P.M. – 5 P.M. This year we had 39 applications and we gave $49,000 in scholarship money to 19 deserving students. Below are short summaries of the 19 scholarship winners.

Michaela Pestano. Michaela, a senior at Hun School, is the recipient of the Barbara A. Hillier Memorial Scholarship in memory of Robert Hilliers’ wife and partner in their architectural firm. Not only has Michaela excelled in her AP classes during her junior and senior years, but she played on the Varsity Girls basketball team and was awarded the Hun Artist Athlete of the year. She was a co-leader of the Hun Arts in Action Club where she designed multiple murals for cultural and school- related celebrations and was the Arts Editor and Chief Editor of the Hun Review Literary and Art Magazine. Her study of architecture was enhanced with a trip to the UK where she visited sites such as BedZed’s eco-friendly housing development in London and the Eden Project. She also attended an intensive pre-college architecture program at Syracuse University. She is looking forward to beginning her studies towards a 5-year professional degree program at Syracuse or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in September.

Alberta Liu. Alberta Liu is the recipient of the Florence Bell Hillier Memorial Scholarship, in memory of Mr. Hillier’s mother. Alberta has been a keen practitioner of many art forms throughout her years at Princeton High School. After her sophomore year, she studied fashion design at Columbia. She is a diligent student and handled a rigorous schedule of AP courses in art as well as other academic subjects. She has been involved for several years in GAIA (Growing Up Accepted as an Individual in America) whose aims are stopping hate, promoting peace, combating bullying, and learning acceptance of others. She and other students, provided workshops on inclusion, bullying and diversity to students in 2nd and 5th grade. Alberta also is a co-founder of the Piñata Plan which sells handmade piñatas with the proceeds going to Sustainable Princeton and The Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Alberta plans on attending Rhode Island School of Design and majoring in Visual Arts/Design in the fall.

Brittany Barnwell received a Women’s College Club of Princeton Scholarship. Brittany has a passion for computer coding, game design, programming, problem-solving, and eradicating the digital divide and will pursue a degree in Computer Science. Using various coding languages, Brittany has already created a website, with data visualizations, to illustrate how violence in video games permeates the adolescent psyche. She is a co-head of the Black Student Union (BSU) and is also involved with theater and sports, hosts prospective students, is an ensemble singer, debate team member, and All About Anime Club member. Academic honor societies, of which Brittany is a member, include the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Science National Honor Society, and the International Thespian Society. Her additional awards include the Barat Award, and Head of School award. Brittany will be graduating from Stuart Country Day School and then attending Princeton University in the fall.

Ella Bardzilowski. Ella, who attends Princeton High School, is awarded a Women’s College Club of Princeton Scholarship. She will attend Grinnell College. Ella’s areas of interest and participation started with being a cheerleader since she was 5 years old, working to help others whether by being a counselor at a bereavement camp for children, and being part of a group from Corner House to teach students about inclusion and diversity. She was also a member of Teen Pep, a Teen Prevention Education Program, and was a leader of the Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Club at Princeton High. To further her interest in biology she was accepted in the Princeton High Research Programs to evaluate the effects of ultraviolet radiation and natural antioxidants on free radical production and oxidative stress in samples of E coli. She hasn’t chosen a major yet.

Kayla Carter. Kayla is this year’s recipient of the Carol Stawski Memorial Scholarship given to a student who plans to be a teacher. She is graduating from Stuart Country Day School and will be attending Montclair State. Kayla relates well with children and is able to teach them whether it is her brother with his school work, as a volunteer camp counselor or as a junior cheerleading coach for Burlington County. Kayla has also served as a peer leader at Stuart for incoming freshmen and participated in activities as varied as the Black Student Union, part of the technical team for school productions, Women’s Voices Club and Seeds to Sew which raises funds to go towards helping women in Kenya to attend college. In her spare time, she is a receptionist/Cashier at Lucas Ford Motor Company.

Elina Csapo. Elina is the recipient of the Luna Kayser Memorial Scholarship. A senior from the Hun School, Elina was characterized by one of her counselors as a positive difference-maker in both her own life and the lives of others. With strength of character and diligent, hard work, she has excelled in academics and athletics at Hun. She participated in several school organizations and is a valued member of the golf and field hockey programs. In 2022, Elina founded a non- profit organization called Young Able Voices (YAV), whose focus is growing the understanding of people with hidden disabilities. The organization is thriving and her work on YAV was recognized by her win of the Norm Brodsky Business Concept Competition held by Rider College. She has done a Ted talk on the theme of hope and was the keynote and closing speaker at the Apraxia Kids National Conference. Elina will be attending Rider College in the fall, majoring in business.

J’vonae Fitchett. J’vonae is the recipient of the Nancy Lifland Memorial Scholarship. A student at Stuart Country Day School, J’vonae has excelled in her academic curriculum, with concentration on STEM courses, as well as assuming leadership positions in student government where she was class president in her junior and senior years. She was awarded the peer- selected Barat Award which recognizes a member of the class who demonstrates self-sacrifice, compassion, courtesy, a sense of balance and overall citizenship. Last year she was chosen by faculty as the winner of the Yale Book Award, which acknowledges a high school junior who exhibits leadership, scholarship, character and intellectual promise. She enjoys performing in school musicals and singing groups, and tutoring. J’vonae has always had an interest in medicine. She took a neuroscience course at Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth last summer and subsequently presented a research project on cerebral palsy. J’vonae will attend the University of Richmond in the fall and plans on majoring in neuroscience.

Morgan Haley. Morgan Haley of The Hun School is awarded a Women’s College Club Scholarship. She will be attending the University of Richmond where she plans to major in public policy with a minor in political science. Her goal is to earn a certificate in health policy so that she can help enhance the experience and outcomes of people of color in the healthcare and education systems. Through the years Morgan overcame speech challenges and found her voice. In her words “I will work at public speaking for the rest of my life to ensure my voice is heard, I contribute to my community and I grow as an individual.” At Hun, Morgan participated, among other activities, as a member of the National Honor Society, a delegate and then co-president of the Model UN and founder and CEO of Haley’s Career Kits, the Afghan Education Student Outreach Project, National Junior Classical League in which she participated in Latin competitions and a member of the Dance Company.

Maiyin Hobgood. Maiyin Hobgood from Princeton High School is the first recipient of the newly created Marilyn Gonyo Scholarship for a student with an interest in education. She was inspired by stories of her great-grandmother who taught in a one-room schoolhouse in North Carolina as well as her own experiences in school. Maiyin will be attending Rider College with a goal to teach special education in preschool. Maiyin was a peer group leader for incoming Freshman, volunteered at a local nursery school, took vocal lessons and is a self-taught artist and ukulele player. One teacher noted that Maiyin’s “connection with children and her nurturing disposition makes her an excellent candidate for a future in early childhood education.”

Yuyi Lui. Yuyi, a Princeton High School senior, is the recipient of the Chowsoon Chuang Ju Memorial Scholarship. She has taken the most rigorous classes available to her at PHS, relying on her hard work, skillful communication and incredible initiative to achieve the highest marks. She actively participates in volunteer activities within and outside the school and is the leader of several clubs. In her spare time, she teaches younger children to play the piano and tutors in English. She is president of the Chinese Club and organized the annual Asian Festival at PHS. Yuyi participated in the Euro Challenge, an economics competition where her team placed second nationally in 2022. She plans on majoring in economics with a concentration in Behavioral Economics and Marketing at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Betaneya Tsegay received a Women’s College Club of Princeton Scholarship and will attend the University of Richmond, with the intention of majoring in chemistry on the pharmacy track. She is highly motivated, hardworking, and compassionate, and especially sensitive to cultural diversity. Her volunteer work activities include being an officer in a local chapter of Operation Smile, creative care for post-surgical children, activity with the World Wildlife Fund which informs about endangered species and being chosen to be a Peer Group Leader. In addition to all these accomplishments, Betaneya is involved with Building Bridges where she tutors middle school students. Betaneya’s traits of self-confidence, thoughtfulness, intelligence, creativity, and empathy all contribute to her impressive successes.

Mackenzie Turner received a Women’s College Club of Princeton Scholarship and will attend Utica University in the fall, and is planning to major in biology on a premed track. Mackenzie is a member of the Hun School Varsity lacrosse and soccer teams, Black Student Union, Red Shield school tour guide group, and is a founder and club leader of the Female Athletes Network (F.A.N.) at the Hun School. She is also an accomplished violinist and a member of the Hun School of Princeton Chamber’s Orchestra. In addition to all these accomplishments, she is a Languard Team member who helps to give out free meals, as well as a mentor and assistant for the Trenton Police Department’s Youth Summer Camp. Mackenzie represents personal growth, the pursuit of excellence, leadership, compassion, and service, and believes that every individual deserves access to quality healthcare.

Regina Sakar, from Princeton HS, received a Women’s College Club of Princeton Scholarship and will be attending the University of Michigan, for a degree in business. She is proud of the small business she has created, raising money for charitable purposes showing a strong empathy for others. Regina worked on the school yearbook, is a managing editor of the Campus Life section of the yearbook, has been a contributor to Spark, the school’s culinary magazine, as well as creator of PHS Make Your Mark, a club channeling her love for the arts and community. Her hard work, compassion, initiative, and ability to do critical analysis will help her to achieve success in her personal endeavors and in her goals in the business world.

Jessie Wang, from Princeton High School, received a Women’s College Club of Princeton Scholarship and will attend Smith College in the fall to pursue courses related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Her interest, drive to learn, and innate skills made her a stand-out student, especially in courses where she was able to master the combination of scientific theory, application and mathematical skills. Jessie’s community service includes volunteering at the Berwin Art Education Center, and tutoring at Mathnasium Learning Center. She is also fluent in Mandarin and helps children learn about their culture and mother tongue. She is an accomplished competitive swimmer–overcoming many physical obstacles, and was chosen as a PHS team captain. With her attributes and hard work, Jessie is already a success.

Berenice Liu, from Princeton High School, received the Margery White Memorial Scholarship and will be attending Boston University where she intends to pursue Pre Med studies to prepare to become a physician, a long-held dream.  During her years in high school, she has participated in a Pre-College Medical Academy summer program at Georgetown University. Berenice has also been a research intern at Front Aim Biomedicines, housed in the Princeton Innovation Center Bio Labs. Berenice has used her skills to contribute to a poster presentation at the 2023 American Association for Cancer Research. She also provides support to underprivileged students, helps English Language Learners transition to high school, and provides workshops on diversity to second graders and middle school students.

Caroline Gu, from Princeton High School, received the Katherine Ness Memorial Scholarship and will attend Johns Hopkins University where Chemical Engineering is her intended major, with scientific research her passion. In the spring of 2022, Caroline was accepted into Princeton University’s Laboratory Learning Program where she undertook a challenging research program. She later spent eleven weeks doing intense research in the high school’s Register Lab of the Chemical and Biological Engineering department. During the summer of 2023, Caroline attended an Engineering Camp in China, where she constructed a sting ray shaped robot. Additionally, she has pursued researching plastic alternatives, created an underwater robot, and mapped the “phylogeny of isopods.”  She has been involved in The Scientific Olympiad and the Princeton High School STEM Roots Club which brings science to low-income children.   Caroline was awarded a scholarship to attend New York City’s School of Visual Arts Pre College-Spring Semester portfolio course. She has been the Visual Editor for the Tower Newspaper.

Daniela Gonzalez of Princeton High School received the Mary Lincoln Memorial Scholarship and will be attending Temple University in Philadelphia. She has aspired to become a Marine Biologist since she was seven years old.  She is passionate about learning and research. She experimented on “fighting fish” and observed their aggressive behavior, which lead her to have discussions with the evolutionary biologist, Neil Shubin.  A paper she wrote was recognized by the New Jersey South Junior Science and Humanities Program. She is currently building upon her studies at the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Fluid Locomotion Laboratory. Her team entered the 2021-2022 SAMSUNG SOLVE for TOMORROW competition and won the National Grand Prize. She has also won second place in the Chemistry Division of the Mercer County Science and Engineering Fair.

Valarie Navarro. We are pleased to present The Kathleen Hutchins Scholarship to Valerie Navarro of HUN School. Valerie plans to study Psychology at The George Washington University and ultimately use her skills to practice Forensic Psychology. Valerie is a three-sport athlete: tennis, swim and rowing as the coxswain of the Boys’ rowing team. She is the primary student photographer for the HUN Yearbook.  She was selected for the Young Women’s Leadership Council when she was a freshman. She is leader of the Hispanic and Latinx Student Union on campus. Valerie plans fundraisers in support of low-income neighbors, and teaches English as a Second Language to help nonnative speakers prepare for their GEDs. Of great significance, as a 10^th grader, Valerie won the KIEFER COMMUNITY AWARD for saving the life of a classmate who had passed out on the mall in Washington, D.C. She used her training and skills and calmly acted. She was celebrated as an “UNSUNG HERO” in the community, in recognition of her kindness, character, honor and integrity. We congratulate Valerie Navarro on her achievements and wish her continued success as she pursues her dreams.

Lea Jade Richards or L.J. from Princeton Day School is a recipient of a Women’s College Club Scholarship. She will attend Wake Forest College where she will take a double major in English and politics and international affairs in her goal to become an attorney. As a member of Jack and Jill of America for 14 years, L.J. learned about black history and culture.  When she realized that only 5% of attorneys are black, she decided she wants to join the percentage and, in her words, “make it grow”.  Going to the Student Diversity Leadership Conference in Texas her junior year further inspired her to reach her goals. In school, L.J. was a peer leader, mentoring 9^th grade students.  As co-head of the Student Life Council, she helped plan bonding activities such as school dances and movie nights. She was also a member of the varsity field hockey team, loves Latin and studied digital photography.

*******