Samantha Jones

Samantha Jones of New Brunswick, N.J. is a Psychology major with an Africana studies minor. She has a 3.7 GPA and has been a Dean’s List student since the Fall 2019 semester. Samantha is also in the First Year Honors society and has previously won the award for being an Outstanding Junior.

At Ramapo, Samantha has held many leadership roles on campus. She has been a Peer Facilitator since the Spring 2020 semester, Vice President of the Students of Caribbean Ancestry club from Fall 2020 until Spring 2022, and is presently the club’s president. In 2021, Samantha became a Violence Intervention Peer for the Office of Violence Prevention and is now the Office Manager for the Women’s and LGBTQ+ services. As a student of color, Samantha hopes to be a person that students can look up to on campus. 

When she is not at school, Samantha works at the At Home Recreation Pool store during the summer as a key holder, which is the position right under the manager. In this position, she handles large sums of money, has access codes, and helps to sell large-scale items while also being a cashier as needed.

After graduation, Samantha hopes to work in a school district or to develop a company like Sage Day School, which is a therapeutic day school where she previously interned. “I want to work with children in order to break the stigma around mental health, as well as help students in areas of mental distress before these situations become serious.”

Anonymous

The recipient of this award would like to remain anonymous.

Anxhela Kalia

“I am proud to be the first in my family to obtain a bachelor’s degree,” says Anxhela Kalia of Fair Lawn, N.J. Anxhela is a junior Honors Program student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. She plans to pursue a career as a Neuropsychologist.

Anxhela is the Founder and President of the Psychology Affiliation and the Secretary of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. In the Honors Program, she has served as a Developmental Leader and a member of the Admissions Team. She was also a Resident Assistant in Bischoff Hall.

Off campus, Anxhela is a Pharmacy Technician at CVS Pharmacy. She also volunteers for blood drives, the Special Olympics, her church’s youth group, and campus clean ups.

She has a 3.85 GPA, has made the Dean’s List every semester, and is in the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society.

Jordan Meredith

Jordan Meredith of Brick, N.J. is a Social Work major and a Psychology minor. She has a 3.1 GPA. She has been inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and made the Dean’s List the Fall semester of her Freshman Year.

At Ramapo, Jordan has been active in the Ramapo Orientation Program, Peer Facilitation Program, and has served as the Publicist for Ebony Women for Social Change. “I’m proud to have helped new students acclimate to the Ramapo campus and to have served as a reliable resource to new and current students.” Jordan’s post-graduation plans is to obtain her Master’s in Social Work, work for the state of New Jersey as a Social Worker, and to open her own small business.

Jordan has volunteered off campus at the MEVO farm, serves as an usher at her church and participates in feeding the homeless there. She works two jobs: on campus at Roadrunner Central and as a Shift Leader at home.

Nicole Chagachbanian

“If I can touch someone’s life, or influence them positively in any way, I will consider myself a success,” says Nicole Chagachbanian, who plans to attend graduate school for PediatricSpeech-Language Pathology. Nicole is a Psychology major with a Teacher Education Certification. She has a 3.9 GPA, and is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Golden Key International Honour Society, and is co-president of the Kappa Delta Pi Honors Society.

At Ramapo, Nicole has been active in several activities, including the Ramapo College Dance Team, the Future Teachers at Ramapo Club, and the Active Minds Club.

She has also been involved in the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference as an ambassador and staff member, a fourth grade Sunday School teacher at St. Leon’s Armenian Church, and regularly volunteers at Valley Hospital.

Nicole is from Oradell, N.J.

Nicole Amada

Nicole Amada is a Psychology major who is applying to PhD and Master’s programs in the US and abroad.  She has been accepted to Vrije Universitet Amsterdam to pursue a master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience and is interviewing at CUNY to pursue a PhD in Cognition, Language, and Development.  She will graduate with a minor in Neuroscience, and has a 3.7 GPA.

At Ramapo, Nicole is the founding president of the Mindfulness Club, a student organization designed to help reduce anxiety through contemplative practice.  She has worked closely with two professors, Dr. Reich and Dr. Choudhury, as a Research Assistant, and also interned at the Brain Balance Achievement Center.

“This scholarship will not only help me to finance some of my future academic costs, but has given me a boost of confidence and mental clarity in the most vital of times,” says Nicole, who is from Mount Olive, NJ.

Mark Boulanger

Mark Boulanger of Clark, NJ is a Psychology major and Substance Abuse minor. He has a 3.95 grade point average. Mark was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta, the Golden Key International Honour Society, and Psi Chi.

Mark serves as the vice president of the Ramapo Music Club and president of Psi Chi.  He also works as a student aide at the Mindfulness at Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Recently, Mark volunteered with West Bergen Mental Healthcare.

Emily Kokkinakis

Emily Kokkinakis of Oakland, N.J. is a psychology major. She has a 3.8 grade point average. She has been on the Dean’s List for Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, and Fall 2014. Emily was also inducted into Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology.

Emily has been involved in off campus activities and organizations, including serving as a volunteer at West Bergen Mental Healthcare.

Gina Bellacero

Gina Bellacero of West Milford, NJ is a Psychology major with a minor in Criminology and Substance Abuse. She works as a physical therapy aide and a secretary at a physical therapy facility. She enjoys horseback riding, exercising, hiking and reading. Gina says, “This scholarship will help me to reduce some of my loans and focus more on my future. The scholarship has not only helped me on my path to reaching my goals, but it has given me the confidence to keep pushing forward.” Gina has a 3.66 grade point average.

Nicole Catalano

Nicole graduated in May 2012 with a degree in Psychology and a grade point average of 3.56. Her minor was Science, Technology and Society. “My career interests led me towards an avocation in mental and physical health, clinical practice and psychological theory,” she says. Nicole is from Howell, NJ.

The Carole Campana Scholarship has helped further my goal to be a clinical mental health counselor.

Taryn Blaustein

Taryn Blaustein of Parsippany, NJ, a senior, is a Social Work major. On and off campus she has demonstrated her compassion for those with physical and mental illnesses. Taryn has completed internships with the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Morris County, the NJ Aids Services/Eric Johnson House and NewBridge Services that provides services for mental illness and substance abuse. She is a member of the Mental Health Players, an acting troupe, with the Morris County Mental Health Association. As a member, Taryn received the 2011 Ambassador Award from the Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma. She is a member of Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society and volunteers with Jersey Battered Women’s Services. Taryn, who has a 3.98 grade point average, choose Social Work as a major because it will allow her “ample opportunity to help those facing serious hardships to reach their greatest potential.”

I am tremendously grateful for the scholarships I have received from Ramapo. This scholarship has boosted my self-confidence, as well as helped to clear some of the financial roadblocks which may have otherwise impeded my path to achieving my education and vocational goals.With this generous assistance, I am able to move one step closer to bringing my once distant dreams to fruition.

Maria Molina

Maria Molina is enrolled in a graduate program at New York University.

This scholarship helps make school affordable; it also proves that there are people out there willing to support me and help me achieve my dreams.

Marissa Malkowski

Since both her parents are deaf, Marissa Malkowski is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), and has been intrigued by the cognitive abilities of deaf persons since she was small. This past summer she was an intern at North Jersey Developmental Center, and has been a volunteer at West Bergen Children’s Center. She is a member of the Psychology Coalition, Psi Chi (the psychology honor society), and helped create a website for psychology majors which includes information on different graduate schools in the area and advice on classes psychology majors should take. “I want to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology,” she says. “My studies will help me provide therapeutic intervention for the deaf community and allow me to analyze their language abilities and brain development.” Marissa is a senior majoring in psychology. She has earned a 3.78 grade point average.

This scholarship is helping me pay for my education so that I am able to advance my education to a graduate level. I plan to attend graduate school for my Ph.D. in Psychology.