NJALL Awards College Scholarships to Two Newark Adults 

Each year since 1992, the New Jersey Association for Lifelong Learning (NJALL) awards scholarships to two adult students who have earned their High School Diploma through an adult education program (GED or Adult High School) and are pursuing their educational goals at an accredited institution of higher education. This year, applications were submitted from all parts of New Jersey, but by coincidence, two Newark residents were selected to be awarded the 2012 Scholarships.

Jadyra Rios, 29, earned her High School Diploma by passing the GED after attending La Casa de Don Pedro in Newark. Ms. Rios, a mother of two young daughters is currently attending Essex County College working towards a degree in nursing and hoping to become a medical-surgical nurse. 

 Dion Cannon, 43, studied for the GED at the Essex County College Adult Learning Center in Newark. He earned his High School Diploma and has been accepted at Essex County College, where he will pursue his lifelong dream of attaining a career in law enforcement and becoming a positive role model for his nieces and nephews.

On June 7, 2012, at 9:30AM, NJALL will honor these scholarship winners at their Annual Scholarship Breakfast to be held at Middlesex County College in Edison, NJ.  Dr. Joann LaPerla-Morales, president of Middlesex County College will welcome the assembled guests.. Erik Jacobson, NJALL’s President, will provide introductions and information about the mission of the organization.

Previous scholarship winners have been invited to share their experiences with the 2012 winners. These special guests include: Sheila Meszaros, 2007 winner attending Mercer County College; Carlton Bruce Jr, 2011 winner attending Middlesex County College; Steve Walljasper, 2005 winner who earned a Bachelors degree through Thomas Edison College and works as a chef for the Juvenile Justice System; and Eva Cancela, 2009 winner, an aspiring free-lance photographer who graduated summa cum laude from the County College of Morris this May.

Scholarship winners are selected based on their educational and career goals, ability to meet life challenges, motivation, need and potential for success in higher education. Adult students often have to juggle significant family and work responsibilities and struggle to cover the expenses of childcare, textbooks, and transportation while in school. The NJALL Scholarship helps cover those expenses and validates the motivation and effort older students exhibit in the pursuit of their educational goals.

NJALL Scholarships are supported entirely by individual donations. The Scholarship Program celebrates the extraordinary perseverance and achievements of adult students served by New Jersey’s adult education professional community.

Additional information about the NJALL Scholarship Program and other projects can be found at: www.njall.org. 

May 31, 2012