Student news: MCVTS students build doghouses to benefit canine companions

• The doghouses will be auctioned off at the annual DogFest on Oct. 22 at Roosevelt Park in Edison to benefit Canine Companions for Independence
• Berkeley College plans alumni weekend in New York City
• Isabel Velarde of East Brunswick recognized as a National Hispanic Scholar
• Timothy Christian School open house, Oct. 16

Students on the East Brunswick and Piscataway campuses of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools are building tiny houses – for dogs and charity.

The doghouses will be auctioned off at the annual DogFest on Oct. 22 at Roosevelt Park in Edison to benefit Canine Companions for Independence, which trains dogs to assist people with physical disabilities.

“I think it’s great for the students to get involved in a project to help others,” said Javier Robles of Edison, a board member of Canine Companions.

“It’s a useful activity for our students to do and it’s supporting a good organization,” said Sean McDonald, MCVTS director of career and technical education.

Two MCVTS students showed off a doghouse they helped build in the building trades/carpentry shop on the East Brunswick Campus. Called “The Doggenheim,” it was modeled after Frank Lloyd Wright’s circular Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

“It took a month to build,” said 12th-grader Ashly Rahman of New Brunswick. “The hardest part was bending the wood. We had to bend it fast.”

The students used recycled wood from pallets, steaming it and bending it around a PVC form.

“It’s for a small dog, six to 10 pounds, like a small terrier,” said 11th-grader Dylan Stratton of East Brunswick.

Another, larger doghouse built in East Brunswick was modeled after Snoopy’s residence in “Peanuts.” It will be auctioned on eBay, while the rest will be available as silent auction items at DogFest.

DogFest, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature graduates of the New Jersey Chapter of Canine Companions, as well as volunteer puppy raisers. It will include an agility course, demonstrations, a doggie costume contest and a DJ.

Canine Companions for Independence is a national nonprofit organization that provides trained assistance dogs, including service dogs and skilled companions that are trained to master 40 or more specialized commands and to perform such tasks as pulling a wheelchair, pushing buttons and carrying packages. More information is available online at cci.org.

The Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, the first full-time county vocational school district in the nation, has seven schools on five campuses, in East Brunswick, Edison, Piscataway, Perth Amboy and Woodbridge. More information is available at www.mcvts.net.

READ: The good things students are doing in Central Jersey and beyond

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Alvernia University

Arielle Phillips of Old Bridge is among the first 10 recipients of Real World Experience Awards this fall  Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania. Phillips will use award funds to complete a psychology research project on human relationships. The new awards are provided through the university's Real-World Experience program, geared to expand sstudents' access to experiential learning opportunities in all academic areas.

American Geographical Society

The American Geographical Society (AGS) has named the selected AGS Geography Teacher Fellows for 2016.  As part of the recognition, the Teacher Fellows  will attend and participate in the AGS Fall 2016 Symposium “Envisioning a Sustainable Planet” in New York City on Nov.17 and 18.

The selected teachers from New Jersey are: Samantha Kowalak of Livingston High School, Candace Pryor Brown of Gill St. Bernard's School and Melissa Wallerstein of Verona High School.

Berkeley College

Berkeley College will host Alumni Weekend 2016 from Oct. 14 to 16,  at its Midtown Manhattan campus. The reunion weekend is an opportunity for the more than 50,000 Berkeley College alumni who comprise the Berkeley College Alumni Association to greet and network with fellow graduates and faculty, according to a news release.

“Our planned activities offer a good mix of social events along with career and leadership development programming.” said Michael Iris, Berkeley College Senior Director, Alumni Relations. “Our alumni have an opportunity to reconnect with faculty, old friends and make new professional contacts.”

Alumni and guests can choose from a variety of activities ranging from a Manhattan dinner cruise to career and leadership development workshops, and participate in the Making Strides 5-mile walk in Central Park.

Berkeley College alumni can register at www.BerkeleyCollege.edu/Alumni/, or by calling 973-405-2111, ext. 6406, or emailing Alumni@BerkeleyCollege.edu.

Berkeley College has three New York campuses – Midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and White Plains. In New Jersey there are five campuses – Dover, Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park. Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. Visit www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.

ALSO: The Berkeley College School of Health Studies recently conducted a pinning ceremony to honor graduates entering the fields of Practical Nursing and Patient Care Technology.  Residents of Union County receiving  pins were: Tiffany Jackson of Linden, Patient Care Technician; Melissa Soriano of Kenilworth, Patient Care Technician.

The Berkeley College School of Health Studies was created to provide career-focused education in some of today’s most in-demand healthcare professions – in clinical specializations, as well as healthcare administration and management.

Centenary University

Centenary University’s Gates-Ferry Distinguished Visiting Lecturer, Kerry Magro, will present “Defining Autism: From Nonverbal to National Speaker," at 6 p.m. Oct. 11, at the Sitnik Theatre in the David and Carol Lackland Center in Hackettstown. This event is free and open to the public.

Magro is a 28-year-old national motivational speaker, disability advocate and consultant. In 2011, Magro won Autism Society’s Outstanding Individual with Autism Award. His book, “Defining Autism from the Heart” discusses his early years with autism, and is an Amazon best seller in the category of Special Need Parenting.  Magro’s second book “Autism and Falling in Love” was released in December 2014.  Magro also contributed to the book “College for Students with Disabilities” alongside autism advocates, such as Dr. Temple Grandin.

In 2009, Magro also started KFM Making a Difference, a non-profit organization that gives college scholarships to adults with autism. Magro became an advocate for the disability community after coming out about having autism for the first time while attending Seton Hall University as a freshman in 2007.

“The timing of his talk is very pertinent as our Common Book selection for first year students this year was 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,' which immersed readers in the mind of a fictional 15-year old boy on the autism spectrum," said Dr. James Patterson, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Centenary University, in a news release. "But Kerry Magro is no fiction; our students will be able to learn from the lived experience of an eloquent witness to autism.”

His talk covers how Magro survived his education experience while being on the spectrum and how his experiences, both good and bad, can help students with disabilities from early childhood to the transition into adulthood. He will also discuss his involvement in disability advocacy at many levels: his experience with early-development therapies, the organizations he has founded for disability awareness and special-needs housing and his two best-selling books.

Earlier that day, Magro will deliver a talk titled “I Used to be Bullied for Having Autism: Here’s When it Stopped” for the Centenary community.

For more information, visit www.centenaryuniversity.edu/.

Dunellen Public Schools/Faber

Thanks to the Dunellen Police Department on Wednesday, Sept.14, students learned how to be safe in all situations.

According to principal Gary Lubisco, Jr.: “this is a great program, the assembly is interactive and keeps students interested and the grade specific book that each student receives serves as a reminder about stranger danger and other important safety issues.”

The program had students realize what they need to be safe in many situation including: online, at home and in other possible situations, according to a news release. The main focus is for students to be a buddy not a bully. Through the activities students were reminded to be honest, responsible, and kind citizens. This was taught through magic, games and ventriloquism. They were then reminded to take home the book and share it with their parents to show what they learned.

Educational Services Commission of New Jersey

Calling it “an historic occasion,” Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ) Board President Dale Caldwell welcomed the Board of Directors to its first meeting on Sept.16.

Formerly the Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission, the organization received unanimous approval earlier this year by the State Board of Education to change its name  to the ESCNJ based on its role as a service provider to schools, municipalities and government agencies statewide.

The composition of the Board of Directors was also changed from 24 to 29 members to allow for statewide representation. In addition to one representative from each Middlesex County school district, the ESCNJ board now includes five members representing Boards of Education outside of Middlesex County, serving one year terms on a rotating basis, so every county is represented over the course of four years.

The new representatives for the 2016-2017 school year are from the following school districts: Bergen County Technical Schools/Special Services; Cape May County Special Services; Pemberton Township Schools (Burlington County); Somerset Hills Regional (Somerset County), and the Voorhees Township Schools (Camden County).

The ESCNJ operates six schools for students ages 3-21 with autism, multiple disabilities, and at risk behaviors, with two schools offering on-site clinical support. The ESCNJ also coordinates the state’s largest Co-op Pricing System, with over 1,100 members, provides shared services statewide for special needs students, runs a Professional Development Academy, and provides statewide transportation services for nearly 14,000 students.

READ: Growing membership leads to name change for commission

Kean University

Professor Ed Johnston and student researchers within the Michael Graves College at Kean University recently announced the launch of a new crowdfunding campaign for Liberty Hall 360, a collaborative research initiative with Liberty Hall Museum in Union. Using 360-degree augmented reality video technology, Liberty Hall 360 will recreate the April 28, 1774 wedding of John Jay, a founding father and the first Chief Justice of the United States, to Sarah Livingston at Liberty Hall.

“Using your smartphone, you can experience something that happened in the 1700s by simply downloading an app and taking a step back in time,” said student researcher Mac Peters.

The planned video re-enactment will be accessible online and via mobile devices. Through the use of virtual reality glasses, viewers will be fully immersed in the space and experience it as a guest at the wedding.

“We’re excited by the prospect of using this technology to showcase the rich history of Kean University and its integral relationship with the history of the United States,” said Johnston.

The Liberty Hall 360 fund raising campaign launched on KeanLift, the Kean Foundation’s crowdfunding platform. The project aims to raise $5,000 towards the purchase of a high quality 360-degree video camera. Utilizing props and period clothing, the collaborators plan to recreate Liberty Hall’s Great Hall as it may have looked the day of Jay and Livingston's wedding. The experience will transport visitors to the 18th century through the power of technology.

The researchers also hope to create opportunities for the next generation of Kean University students.

Liberty Hall 360 is sponsored by a Students Partnering with Faculty Summer Research Award and the K-LABS Design Studio, a faculty-led design studio within the Michael Graves College at Kean University. Visit https://keanlift.kean.edu/LibertyHall360 to learn more.

Mount Saint Mary Academy

Isabel Velarde of East Brunswick, a senior at Mount Saint Mary Academy (MSMA) in Watchung, has been selected as a National Hispanic Scholar by the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP).

Last spring, the College Board notified  Sofia Santos, MSMA Director of Student Service, that Velarde was eligible to apply for the program because she scored in the top 2.5 percent among Hispanic and Latino PSAT/NMSQT test takers in the region. Every year, the NHRP recognizes about 5,000 of the 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the test.

Velarde received a certificate, noting her achievement, which will may also be included in her college applications.

“Motivated, self-propelled and inspiring are only some of the adjectives that come to mind when describing Isabel Velarde,” Santos said.

North Brunswick High School

The North Brunswick Township High School’s robotics team robot that competed in the World Championships FIRST Robotics Stronghold game April 27-30, in St. Louis made an appearance on Sept. 24 at the North Brunswick Township’s 34th Annual Heritage Day.

The next robotics event for the Raider Robotix team is Brunswick Eruption, the FRC Team 25’s off-season event scheduled to be conducted at the North Brunswick Township High School on Nov. 12. Robot teams from the Mid-Atlantic Robotics District and elsewhere will compete against each other at this event.

To learn more about Brunswick Eruption, visit www.raiderrobotix.org or the Raider Robotix’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BrunswickEruption. Public admission and seating is free.

Raritan Valley Community College

Members of the community are invited to attend an Open House at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg on Saturday, Oct.15, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event, designed for prospective students and their families, will be conducted in the Conference Center at the college’s Branchburg campus.

Those who attend will have the opportunity to hear about the college first-hand from current students and alumni; tour the campus; learn about support services for students; and meet with members of the RVCC faculty. Participants also may learn about degree programs that are designed to help students transfer to colleges and universities, as well as training programs that prepare students for a new career in a year or less.

Workshops on such topics as the College’s First-Year Experience program, transfer opportunities after RVCC, and Concurrent Enrollment for high school juniors and seniors will be offered. A presentation for parents also will be presented in Spanish.

During the Open House, special information sessions focusing on the College’s Cosmetology and new Skin Care Specialist programs (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Conference Center, Room 101) and the Advanced Manufacturing program (10-11 a.m., West Building, Room 120) also will be held.

To register for the Open House, visit http://www.raritanval.edu/admissions-information/open-houses-and-info-sessions. To register for the Cosmetology information session, email Marcia Bird at marcia.bird@raritanval.edu. To register for the Advanced Manufacturing information session, email Conrad Mercurius at conrad.mercurius@raritanval.edu. For additional information, contact the Admissions Office at 908-526-1200 or admissions@raritanval.edu.

Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts

When ordinary people are put into extraordinary situations, anything can happen. Rutgers Theater Company explores the range of human reaction as lives are dismantled in Bertolt Brecht’s "Fear and Misery in the Third Reich," running from Friday, Oct. 7, through Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Victoria J. Mastrobuono Theater.

New Jersey residents involved in the production include lighting designer Maximo Grano De Oro of Kearny (Hudson County) and production stage manager Leanne Sinsky of Marlboro (Monmouth County).

Brecht’s 1938 play was written while in exile as German fascism was rising to frightening heights. Through a series of scenes depicting paranoia and prejudice creeping into everyday life, Brecht presents a palette of human response--denial, terror, suspicion, and even darkly comical behavior as emotions explode and the line between right and wrong blurs.

The play features a cast of six actors directed David Schweizer, who makes his Rutgers Theater Company debut after more than 40 years of directing and developing new theater, performance, and opera nationally and internationally.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25 for the general public, $20 for Rutgers alumni and employees and seniors, and only $15 for students with valid ID. The Victoria J. Mastrobuono Theater is in the Mason Gross Performing Arts Center, 85 George St. (between Route 18 and Ryders Lane), on the Douglass Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in New Brunswick. For more information, visit www.masongross.rutgers.edu or call the Mason Gross Performing Arts Center ticket office at 848-932-7511.

This event is underwritten by the Leora M. Sies Theater Fund Foundation. Fear and Misery in the Third Reich (Willett, trans.) is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

ALSO: Undergraduate and graduate visual arts students teamed up to conceptualize and install a collection of eight student exhibits at three locations across the New Brunswick campus: the Mason Gross Galleries, Rutgers Art Library, and Douglass Student Center. The co-cureate shows (the title is a mash-up of what the initiative has prompted teams to engage in: conceive, curate and create exhibits) is running now through Monday, Oct. 17. The shows will feature student performances, paintings, photographs, sculptures, media, and prints. Admission is free.

Participating New Jersey students include: Dori Miller of Garwood; ToniAnn Eisman of Toms River; Emily Karwowski and recent alumnus Gregg Bautista, both of Somerset; Sam Hewitt of Haddonfield; Veronica Hahr of  Maplewood; and Sarina Aquino of Newark.

Installing some of the exhibits outside the school’s traditional gallery space on Livingston Avenue was critical, says Mason Gross Galleries coordinator Daonne Huff, who regards this opening slate of shows as “an opportunity to push the students outside of their comfort zones, outside of the safety of our white cube” and into the wider Rutgers community.

“We’ve been a bit isolated,” Huff said. “We as a department bring the color, the texture, the creative imagination and pop to Rutgers — I think we should share that.” 

Rutgers Art Library show In Search of Punchline is curated by Johanna Boyce, Audrey Meehan, and Ed Weisgerber and features the work of Johanna Boyce, Erin Keane, Audrey Meehan, Carlyn Perlow, Delfina Picchio, and Ed Weisgerber.

Douglass Student Center show Cornered is curated by ToniAnn Eisman and Dori Miller and features the work of ToniAnn Eisman, Sam Hewitt, Emily Karwowski, Dori Miller, and Veronica Hahr.

More information is available by calling 848-932-5211 or by visiting www.masongross.rutgers.edu.

Rutgers University

Lisa C. Klein is a woman of firsts.

She was the first female professor in Rutgers University’s School of Engineering in 1977.

She’s performed pioneering research on sol-gel processing – a low temperature way to make ceramics and coatings that led to energy-saving coatings for windows.

She became the first woman elevated to professor II in the School of Engineering. It’s the equivalent of today’s distinguished professor status.

“At first, it was lonely to be the only woman faculty member in the School of Engineering,” said Klein, 64. “It prompted me to look elsewhere within Rutgers, so I met women in chemistry and geology. Also, I found the Douglass Project for Rutgers Women in Math, Science, and Engineering, which has been a great affiliation for many years.”

Although a network of female faculty developed after the School of Engineering began adding women to their ranks, today less than 25 percent of engineering students and faculty are women. It’s been a slow process, Klein said, pointing to the 32 years it took before a second woman was hired in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, where Klein has devoted her career.

For decades, Klein – a strong supporter of women and minorities in science – has led the graduate program in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and still carries a heavy teaching load.
She has five shared patents, three of them covering sol-gel processing. The process created window coatings that help keep buildings warm in the winter and cool in the summer and are widely available through SageGlass and other companies. The fourth patent covers a sol-gel fiber used in fluorescing and the fifth patent is for a sol-gel coating for an oxygen concentrator. Today, Klein’s conducting research on anti-corrosion coatings for steel and other metals.

In addition to her research and teaching, Klein served two terms as president of the Rutgers AAUP-AFT, the union that covers more than 7,000 faculty members and others. Her efforts aided postdoctoral fellows and non-tenure track faculty.

Richard Lehman, professor and department chair in the School of Engineering, said Klein is the type of person who takes on a job and gets it done.

“Not only has her career been amazing scientifically and professionally, but she’s always available to students, and she’s always active in school and department functions,” Lehman said.

Klein, a native of Wilmington, Delaware, earned a bachelor’s degree in metallurgy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1973. She was the sole woman to get such a degree that year. She continued on and earned a doctorate in ceramics in 1976 at MIT, minoring in geology.

“In the late 1970s, people were becoming much more energy-conscious because of the oil embargo,” she said. “So I think there was a general sentiment in the glass industry that there’s got to be another way. Sol-gel processing is something that I read about and thought was interesting and I decided to give it a try.”
Through the years, Klein has won numerous engineering and other awards including a 2015 Human Dignity Award from Rutgers for her lifelong commitment to encouraging women, minorities and economically disadvantaged people to pursue their aspirations.

“I have a lot of undergrads who work with me and I’ve always advocated for underrepresented groups to come and work in the research labs, especially in the summertime,” Klein said. “I’ve worked with a number of the programs at Rutgers that encourage women to stay in the technical fields.”

Laura Fabris, an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, looks to Klein as a role model and for inspiration. “Lisa has done a lot of service supporting women in the profession, so she has kept a human side in addition to her professional side, which is quite difficult to do because of the demands of our job,” Fabris said.

The Pennington School

The Pennington School will show prospective students and their families what the school offers students in grades six through 12 during its annual Open House, to be conducted on Sunday, Oct. 16. The event, which will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., aims to give prospective families an opportunity to explore the Pennington experience, meet with students, visit newly redesigned classrooms, and talk with teachers. The school’s main entrance is at 112 West Delaware Ave, in Pennington.

The program will begin with a welcome from the School’s headmaster, Dr. William S. Hawkey, and attendees will have a chance to meet with the Admission team, who encourage visitors to bring “questions, curiosity, and enthusiasm,” and tour the 54-acre campus.

To register for the event, visit www.pennington.org or contact the Admission office at admiss@pennington.org or 609–737–6128.

The Pennington School is an independent coeducational school for students in grades 6 through 12, in day and boarding programs. The curriculum is college preparatory, with an emphasis on individual excellence, fostering the development of the whole student through academics, athletics, community service, and the creative and performing arts.

The Wardlaw-Hartridge School

David Russell, a parent at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison, shared a special treat with students on Wednesday, Sept. 14. Russell, the president of Fire & Safety Services in South Plainfield, is the manufacturer's representative of the Sealegs Amphibious Marine Craft. He transported one to the school and parked it behind Laidlaw Gym, where students from all three divisions of the PreK-12 school visited to learn more about the vessel

Sealegs Amphibious Marine Crafts are manufactured in New Zealand by a company that was founded 10 years ago out of a desire to find a “better way” to get a boat in and out of the water through means other than the traditional boat launch. This is now a publically traded company on the New Zealand Exchange which has sold over 1,000 vessels in more than 40 countries – including the US. 

The Sealegs system consists of motorized, retractable and steerable wheels, which are fitted to specially designed boats. This system is integrated with the same steering system as the outboard motor, but is powered by a separate 22 horsepower Honda engine that operates the 100% enclosed hydraulic system.  This system allows the craft to achieve up to 5 mph on land while operating upwards of 40 mph in the water. While borne from a recreational purpose, the craft is also ideal for emergency services applications.  For more information on the craft, visit www.sealegs.com.

The Wardlaw-Hartridge School

Timothy Christian School

Timothy Christian School will host an open house on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. at 2008 Ethel Road in Piscataway. Visit www.timothychristian.org or call 732-985-0300, ext., 613 to register.

Timothy Christian School is committed to providing the finest Christ-centered education from Pre-K through 12th grade, according to a news release. The school seeks to challenge students academically by providing a rigorous program aimed to increase academic knowledge and develop a world-view based on God’s word. It strives to meet the learning needs of all of its students through a rich curriculum and diverse teaching techniques, including the NILD program to assist children with specific learning differences.

Athletics is a rich tradition at Timothy offering nine sports and 23 teams to middle and high school. Athletics is also offered to elementary students through the Junior Tigers Program. The school is a member of the NJSIAA and the Greater Middlesex Conference.

Union Catholic Regional High School

At the start of the 2016-17 school year, Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains welcomed 10 new faculty/staff members.

Lisa Bechtold is teaching world studies and U.S. history. Chiara Duane is serving as an administrative assistant in Union Catholic’s main office as well as an assistant in the Development Office. Joining her in the Main Office as a part-time administrative assistant is  Maura McGovern.

Rosalie Intartaglia is teaching math classes. Brian Kopnicki joined the faculty as a physical education/health/driver’s education teacher and will serve as a track and field coach under Head Coach Mike McCabe. Richard LaBelle is teaching science classes.

Debra Pachucki will return for her first full year of teaching English, after joining the faculty in January of last year. Anastasia Patrignani is teaching freshman and sophomore religion and is “excited to get to know the students and the staff and be a part of such a gifted and welcoming community.”

Kristy Rose is teaching Freshman Foundations Religion, English 1 and English 4. Pamela Sawicki, Union Catholic Class of 1996 and volleyball coach, joins the faculty as a physical education teacher. She becomes the 24th current Faculty/Staff member who is an alumnus of Union Catholic.

For more information, visit unioncatholic.org.

Union County College offers "Women in STEM Expo"

Union County College is offering a free set of classes, called “Women in STEM Expo,” on careers and experiences one could have from choosing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) major.

The college will offer this free set of classes at its Cranford campus, located at 1033 Springfield Avenue, across from the entrance to Nomahegan Park. The class will be conducted on Monday Oct. 10, from 2 to 4 p.m.

The first mini event of the afternoon is “Women in Engineering.” During this half hour of training, participants will work on a 3D design and learn about 3D printing and advances in the printing field. Beginning around 2:30 p.m., the group will move onto the “Chemistry Expo” where current Union County College students will be running experiments in the lab for the attendees to observe. The final part of the day will be run by the College’s Biology Club, beginning around 3 p.m. They will run a “Biology Expo” for the students to participate in and will also be able to answer questions about being a biology major.

This program was made possible with the support from the Union County Office on Women, Department of Human Services. The class is free, but registration is required because there are a limited number of spots available. RSVP to STEMDivision@ucc.edu.

ALSO: Union County College’s Learning Enhanced through Accelerated Paths (LEAP) Program has been chosen as one of six Associate Level finalists for this year’s Examples of Excelencia Award. Examples of Excelencia is the only national initiative to identify and promote programs and departments at the forefront of advancing educational achievement for Latino students in higher education.

The College’s LEAP program was chosen from the more than 190 nominations nationwide. Of the nominations, only 20 were selected as finalists for the 2016 Examples of Exelcencia based on their evidence of effectiveness, sustainability and efforts to accelerate Latino student success.

The annual Celebracion de Excelencia will be conducted in Washington, D.C. and the winning program in each of the four levels will be announced. All 20 finalists will be cataloged in the Growing What Works Database.

For more information about Union County College, go to www.ucc.edu.

Wilkes University

East Brunswick resident Dhruv Patel, a student at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania recently had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Hanoi, Vietnam, to learn about making positive transformations in small communities. Patel attended the University Scholars Leadership Symposium, an international conference intended to raise global awareness of disenfranchised communities. The event ran from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7. The weeklong symposium gathers exceptional people from around the world to participate in hands-on, experiential learning with marginalized communities.

Student and School news appears Fridays. Email:hntmetro@mycentraljersey.com