Rotarian Courtney Washington recently announced the first two recipients of Rotary Roselle-Roselle Park's $1,000 Scholarships for high school seniors attending a college, university or vocational program next year. They are Esha Patel of Roselle Park High School and Sydnee Henderson of Roselle Catholic High School. Ms. Patel will attend Rutgers University to study aerospace engineering. Ms. Henderson will attend Montclair State University to study Visual Arts and Graphics Design.
In her essay submitted with her scholarship application, Syndee Henderson related her volunteer efforts as they aligned with Rotary’s Motto, “Service Above Self.” Her work included packaging food for the needy at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside, and recruiting donors for a blood drive at the New York Blood Center. She also wrote about her volunteer work to help raise funds for Roselle Catholic High School’s new track and field complex which honors the legacy of former Track Coach Frank Gagliano and the family of former Roselle Catholic High School athlete Bobby Hoffman.
Esha Patel begins her essay with a quote attributed to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, “In the joy of other lies our own.” In it she writes of her decision to volunteer as a youth instructor at her temple based on her belief “that as a youth instructor individually and collectively, I would have the ability not only to change the world but to strongly affect the hearts of these youthful people.”
The Rotary Club of Roselle-Roselle Park congratulates Esha and Sydnee for acceptance into two of New Jersey’s finest universities, and wishes them well in the future.
Courtney Washington, a resident of Roselle, is President Elect of the club. She headed a scholarship committee including James Campora of Roselle Park and Julie Pinho, co-owner of Pinho’s Bakery in Roselle. In light of covid-19, Ms. Washington developed an electronic scholarship application and submission process to keep the annual scholarship program going this year.
Thank you, Courtney! www.roselle-roselleparkrotary.org