Executive Women of New Jersey in Voorhees recently announced the nine recipients of its annual Graduate Merit Award Program scholarship to outstanding nontraditional graduate students attending New Jersey colleges and universities.
This year’s total scholarship amount is $35,000. Since its inception, EWNJ has distributed over $1.4 million in scholarships to collegiate women pursuing a nontraditional educational path. This year’s scholarship sponsors are Public Service Enterprise Group and RWJBarnabas Health.
EWNJ defines “nontraditional” as a student who returns to her studies several years after receiving an undergraduate degree; a student who may have completed her undergraduate degree at a later date; a student who changed careers and is returning to school to retool her career; or a student who comes from a nontraditional educational or socioeconomic background.
“We recognize the escalating cost of higher education is increasingly becoming harder to afford, especially for those who have followed nontraditional paths to education. At the heart of EWNJ’s mission is our unwavering commitment to elevating women with exceptional potential into leadership spaces, and, for many women, an advanced degree is key to unlocking those opportunities,” M. Courtney McCormick, president of EWNJ and senior vice president of audit, enterprise risk & compliance at PSEG, said. “We hope the Graduate Merit Award alleviates the financial burdens for these scholars and enables them to rightfully prioritize their career goals without the undue stress of affordability. I want to congratulate this year’s scholarship winners and we look forward to watching them thrive.”
2023 Graduate Merit Award Program Winners:
- Nathalie Blanco, MBA, Montclair State University;
- Terryann Cantalupo, Master of Arts, clinical mental health counseling, Rider University;
- Joanna Choinska, MBA, Montclair University;
- Yashmine Cooper, Ed.D., educational leadership, Kean University;
- Kinga Dabek, D.M.D. candidate, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine;
- Marlie Doriston, Master of Science, physician assistant studies, Monmouth University
- Alexis Libert, Psy.D., counseling psychology, Felician University;
- Smita More-Potdar, Ph.D., biological sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology;
- Grace Springer, Master of Social Work, Monmouth University.
The award ceremony will take place during EWNJ’s 2023 Holiday Party, hosted by the Brach Eichler law firm in Roseland.
