Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez of New Brunswick, N.J. is a Social Work Major with a 3.7 GPA.

At Ramapo, Jennifer has been active in the Organization of Latino Unity, serves as a Freshman Representative, a Volunteer at the The Women’s Center, and a Staff Writer in the Ramapo Newspaper. She is also an active member of the EOF and First-Gen community, as it has been her goal to attend college. 

After graduation, Jennifer plans to become a social worker and give back to her community, along with eventually getting her Master’s Degree.

​​Grace Velarde

​​Grace Velarde of Oakland, N.J. is a Contemporary Arts Contract major with a Computer Science minor. She has a 3.97 GPA and is a member of the Ramapo College Honors Program, Golden Key International Honour Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and Alpha Lambda Delta.

At Ramapo, Grace has been active in several organizations and activities, including the Student Government Association as the Contemporary Arts School Senator, the Ramapo Admissions Student Ambassadors Program, and the Ramapo College Concert Band as an alto saxophone player.
Grace has also been involved in off–campus activities and organizations, including doing freelance work for Warner Music Group and working as a Web Design/Digital Marketing Intern with Career Transition Resources, LLC.

An accomplishment she is proud of is starting her own small business and art brand under the name Graceful Graphics in March 2020. She manages multiple social media accounts to showcase her art and music including her own website, Instagram, SoundCloud, Vimeo, TikTok, and Youtube. She is in the process of developing her portfolio, continuing to focus on growing her online presence.

Anonymous

The recipient of this scholarship wishes to remain anonymous.

Nyomi Vasquez

“I plan to go to graduate school to earn my MSW and begin a career working with children, youth, and families as a way to give back to my community and help others as they have helped me,” says Nyomi Vasquez of North Haledon, N.J. She is a Sociology major with a concentration in Criminology, with minors in Psychology and Crime and Justice Studies. She has a 3.38 GPA. Nyomi is a first-generation college student and a Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 Dean’s List recipient.

At Ramapo, Nyomi has been a member of the Ramapo College Dance Company, NSLS, and served as an EOF peer mentor.

Anxhela Kalia

Anxhela Kalia of Fair Lawn, N.J. is a sophomore Psychology major with a Neuroscience minor. She has a 3.8 GPA, and is a member of the Ramapo College Honors Program and Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society. She has also been a Dean’s List recipient every semester. “I’m proud to be the first person to receive a bachelor’s degree in my family, and I hope to have a career as a Neuropsychologist.”

Anxhela is a Resident Assistant in Bischoff Hall, the Founder and President of the Psychology Affiliation on campus, and a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. She is also an Honors Developmental Leader and part of the Admissions Team for the Honors Program. She recently attended the Northeast Regional Honors Conference.

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

Rachael Chertok

Rachael Chertok of Kinnelon, N.J. is a Computer Science major with a minor in Mathematics. She is part of the mathematics honor society Pi Mu Epsilon, Alpha Lambda Delta, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the Golden Key International Honour Society.

Rachel is the current public relations officer of //hackRamapo, the community service chair of Ramapo College Dance Company, and one of the Ramapo Admissions Student Ambassadors.

She has participated in hackathons at Rutgers University and the University of Maryland, and she has had internships at Prudential and Pfizer.

“After graduation, I will begin a career as a software engineer at an aerospace technology company.”

Rachel has a 3.7 GPA.

Jamie Anne Anderson

Jamie Anne Anderson of Cliffside Park, N.J. is a Nursing student and has a 3.5 GPA.

Last year Jamie was the Roadrunners Women’s Basketball Team Manager where she became the team’s statistician, videotaped games and organized practices. This year she joined the Ramapo Nursing Student Organization and the Nutrition and Fitness Club.

As a certified EMT, Jamie volunteers at the Mahwah and Fairview Centers, and works weekends in Cliffside Park. “I’m proud of all I’ve accomplished so far at Ramapo, especially earning a spot on the Dean’s List while continuing to volunteer.” She is looking forward to studying abroad in Ghana in Summer 2018.

“I plan to specialize in trauma and emergency nursing, perhaps with the US Army or with Doctors without Borders.”

Meera Patel

Meera Patel is a first-generation student and the first person in her family to pursue a bachelor’s degree. She is a Finance major from Mahwah, NJ who has a strong passion toward helping the less fortunate. She volunteers and has helped raise money and awareness for homeless, abandoned, and abused youth.

Tammy Smith

Tammy Smith of Fair Lawn, N.J. is a social work major. She has a 3.92 grade point average.

At Ramapo, Tammy is a member of Active Minds and the Social Work Club. Off campus, she is a board member of the Bergen County National Alliance for Mental Illness and a volunteer at Bergen Regional Medical Center.

Tammy sees herself as an advocate for the rights of the mentally ill. Her career goal is to work in community mental health and to implement policy changes in the field.

Chase Burns

Chase Burns of Sussex, NJ is a Social Work major with a minor in Psychology. Her goal is to work with and advocate for adolescents in the foster care system. “They face the most adversity in terms of being adopted into permanent, healthy homes,” she said. She would also like to increase the societal support these youths receive. Chase’s experiences are preparing her to reach her goal. She earned an associate degree in Human Services and Liberal Arts from the County College of Morris. She then took a semester off to build houses in Thailand with Habitat for Humanity. At Ramapo College, she was an intern with the Division of Child Protection and Permanency through a program called the Baccalaureate Child Welfare Education Program. Completing the internship enabled Chase to begin a career with the division this past January. “Attending college is not just a choice for me,” she said. “It is a critical necessity to establish the professional capabilities to pursue my dreams of helping to change the atmosphere of the child welfare services in our society.” Chase graduated with a 3.98 grade point average.

Alexandra Castiglia

Alexandra Castiglia of Oak Ridge, NJ is a Psychology major and a Criminology minor. She is a member of and serves on the Executive Board of Alpha Phi Omega, the professional community service fraternity, Ramapo Admissions Student Ambassadors, United Asian Association and the Bischoff Hall Residence Hall Council. For more than 12 years, she has been involved with service activities with the Rotary Club. On campus, she has performed community service with the Kessler Foundation, Relay for Life and March of Dimes. Alexandra views her dyslexia as an ability, not a disability. “Having dyslexia has afforded me many opportunities I might not have had the chance to experience otherwise,” she said. Alexandra enjoys community service. “As long as I can make a small difference in one person’s life, then I’ve done my job,” she added. Alexandra has 3.30 grade point average.

It will give me the opportunity to continue my education and pursue my career goals. I stirve to help people everyday and would like to pursue a career in that field.

Hannah Morrow

Hannah Morrow of Kinnelon, NJ is a Biochemistry major. As a teenager she was diagnosed with a chronic disorder from which, she says “I emerged with more strength, determination and faith than I could ever imagine.” She entered the workforce after high school and earned an associate’s degree at a community college. Hannah has admiration for the physical therapists who helped her and plans on becoming one to help others. Hannah volunteers at an animal shelter, a hospital and works with children who have cerebral palsy. She a member of Ramapo’s Biology Club. Hannah is particularly proud of being the recipient of a scholarship awarded by the American Association of University Women.

Lauren Finaldi

Lauren Finaldi of West Milford, NJ is a Nursing major. As president of Phi Delta Epsilon, an international medical fraternity, she developed an educational lecture “Health Disparities Among Minority Populations,” presented at the College’s Health andWellness Fair. She is a member of the Nursing Student Organization and serves as a student representative on the Nursing Curriculum Revising Committee. Lauren completed a study abroad program to Sierra Leone,West Africa to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Lauren, who has a 3.41 grade point average, says, “Ramapo has made me a social justice and patient care advocate.”

Brian Gilbert

Brian Gilbert is from Flemington, NJ and is in his senior year at Ramapo College. “One day I made a choice,” Brian says, “I would commit myself to helping others, because no one deserves to feel alone and ignored.” He is majoring in Social Work with a minor in Psychology and has earned a 3.22 grade point average. He is a member of the Sci-Fi and Comic Book Clubs, where he serves as secretary, and is a radio host on the campus radio station,WRPR. Brian has been an intern at the Sage Day School for students with emotional and special needs and for the NY/NJ Trails Conference.

It will give me the confidence and resources to move towards my goals in life.

Tammy Smith

Tammy Smith of Fair Lawn, NJ is a Social Work major.  She has a 3.96 GPA.  She was awarded the 2015 NASW Harriet Bloomfield Memorial Scholarship and the 2015 CSWE BSW Student Travel Scholarship Award for her academic achievements in social work. She was awarded the 2014 and 2015 Fair Lawn Sunrise Rotary Continuing Education Scholarship.

At Ramapo, Tammy has been active in several organizations and activities, including the Social Work Club, where she recently served as vice-president.

Tammy has also been involved in off-campus activities and organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for NAMI Bergen County and on the town of Fair Lawn’s Stigma-Free Task Force.