Scholarship Night is a way for the community
members to support seniors in the community by
contributing to their ongoing education, and a
way for parents and seniors to honor the
hardworking, driven students that deserve
recognition.
Over 130 seniors received scholarships at
Lacey Township High School's annual Scholarship
Night.
Scholarship donations are also a way for
community members to honor the memory of loved
and lost family and friends. Through scholarship
funds in memory of the deceased, their spirit
lives on in the students who will prosper
through the contribution.
Lauren Dean,a Lacey Township senior, not only
presented an award on behalf of her brother,
Jimmy Dean’s memory, but she also received
eight scholarship gifts herself.
Jimmy and his father were in a fatal car
accident six years prior. The Jimmy Dean
Memorial Scholarship Fund donates $500 each year
to help a student with their educational goals.
The scholarship is always given to someone who
shares similar qualities to Jimmy.
“Jimmy was a football player and wrestler
at Lacey High School,” said Lauren Dean. “We
like to give out a scholarship in his name every
year to keep his memory going.”
Like her late brother, Lauren Dean is a high
achiever at Lacey Township High School. With
grants from organizations such as the Knights of
Columbus, Lacey Soccer Club, the Booster Club,
and the Lanoka Harbor EMS, Dean plans to attend
Seton Hall University next year to study Special
Education.
“I am really excited about getting all of
these honors tonight,” said Dean, “They will
be very helpful with my schooling.”
It takes hard work and many contributions to
the school and the community in order to earn a
scholarship award. Thomas Murray received the
Matthew Blum Memorial Scholarship for his
dedication to the football team, concert choir,
drama club, and class council.
The presenter read a letter from Matthew
Blum’s parents saying, “We are sure that
Matthew is proud to know that he can help you
achieve your goals in some small way.”
Murray will be attending Kean University next
year, with the help of the $500 grant from the
Blum family.
There were small contributions given to help
with textbooks and extra college expenses, and
there were considerable scholarships given by
organizations such as the ROTC and the Rotary
Club.
The ROTC presented a full scholarship towards
four years of college tuition, school supplies,
and textbook expenses. The scholarship was worth
over $95,000 in total, and was presented to the
student who completed full ROTC training.
“This scholarship is a culmination of
preparation for many years,” said the ROTC
presenter. “Shawn [Deslauries] not only
trained hard to earn his ROTC foundation, but he
also maintained an outstanding GPA and SAT
scores.”
The Rotary Club presented $10,000 to
Lindsey Rouland, and $15,000 in scholarship
money to another five students.
The Old Guard of Forked River also presented
scholarships to Kelsey Devery and Giana DeMicco.
“Just a little bit of advice from an old
man – work hard and do your best and you can
look back with pride,” the presenter said.
The attached .pdf contains a list of
scholarship recipients
