Celebrating Scholarship Impact
The power of scholarships was front and center when University scholarship donors and student scholarship recipients came together for a Celebration of Scholarship Benefactors luncheon.
Recognizing the impact of scholarship support, more than 125 of the University’s scholarship donors, student recipients and guests came together for a Celebration of Scholarship Benefactors luncheon.
Mia Polesovsky, a student in the dual degree/dual certification Teacher Education Program and recipient of the John Greco Memorial Student Teacher Scholarship, attested to the impact receiving scholarships has had on her life and was united with Al and Susan Greco, the donors who created the scholarship to honor their son. John was a 2000 graduate of Montclair State and a celebrated coach of the men’s lacrosse team, who passed away in 2010 and whose memory lives on through the team and all those who benefit from the scholarship.
“Thank you for believing in me and my future and for investing in me as a student,” said Mia. “Over the past few years of my college career, since my mother’s and my stepfather’s passing, I have worked tirelessly to do my best to succeed, as well as provide financially for myself and my younger siblings. With scholarship awards, I am able to concentrate on school and have some of the financial burden of college tuition taken off of me during my student teaching semester ahead.”
Mia is specializing in K-6 elementary education and Special Education certification and is currently completing her full-time student teaching in Morristown.
“I anticipate getting a job as an educator in the fall of 2020 and hope to change the lives of my students in similar ways that my own educators have done for me. I hope to motivate, encourage and steer my students in the right direction, cheering them along from the sidelines as they excel throughout their own journey called life.”
Mia shares that she also hopes to start her own scholarship fund some day in order to provide other struggling students with opportunities to succeed similar to what she has received. “I have learned that in life, everyone faces their own struggles and battles, but what determines your future is not your past, instead it is the way you persevere and overcome those obstacles.”
You can support student scholarships with your online gift today or call the University Development office at 973-655-3435.
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