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The RVCC Foundation has announced the inaugural recipients of its three newest scholarships supporting students at Raritan Valley Community College: the Emerging Heroes Nursing Scholarship, the Evelyn S. Field Scholarship, and the Paul Robeson Scholarship. The scholarships were funded by last year’s successful “RV Lives” fundraising campaign. Emerging Heroes recipients each receive $1,000 and the Paul Robeson and Evelyn S. Field scholarship recipients each receive $2,000. The following RVCC students are the scholarships’ 2021-2022 recipients:

Emerging Heroes Nursing Scholarship

Jeanne Gabrielle Riano of Somerville: The Warren Hills Regional High School graduate is a first-year nursing student. Her goal is to become a Registered Nurse so that she can “make a difference” in health care. “During my high school career, I was involved in many volunteer opportunities such as the National Honor Society, where we raised over $10,000 for cancer research and collected food for local food shelters. I also held an officer position for a national service club called ‘GlamourGals,’ where we visited local nursing homes and spent quality time with the residents. Both experiences have shown me that strong leadership is key to success, and that is why I aspire to learn to be a great leader to those around me,” says Riano.

Ana Iraheta of Flemington: The second-year nursing student is a graduate of Hunterdon Central Regional High School. “My dream is to become a nurse. Throughout my childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood I have always had the dream of helping out people in need, people from different regions of the world. I want to able to go into work every day knowing that the knowledge I have acquired will help me impact people around the world in a positive way. This scholarship will also help me show mothers out there that it is possible to be a mom and graduate with a college education. My other dream is to be able to show my daughter that the American dream is possible to achieve,” says Iraheta.

Evelyn S. Field Scholarship

Devin Mozoul of Maplewood: The first-year student and Columbia High School graduate is a criminal justice major. He is also an eight-year volunteer at Saint Leo’s Roman Catholic Food Pantry in Irvington, where he is responsible for unloading vans, sorting food items, and maintaining a clean and organized pantry area. Mozoul loves to travel and enjoys “spending time with [his] 95-year-old great-grandmother because she is a source of great wisdom and knowledge,” he says.

Paul Robeson Scholarship

Willie Vick of North Plainfield: The North Plainfield High School graduate is a business administration major whose commitment to serving the community is exemplary. Among his community activities are volunteering with Hope Worldwide, an organization that supports community-based services to the poor and needy; serving retired, disabled, and homeless veterans at the VA Hospital; collecting food items for the annual Thanksgiving canned food drive; and helping plan the Kappa League annual MLK Day of Service Sock Drive. “My parents have helped me in my awareness of racial injustice and to be involved more in the community. This awareness has taught me [the] conviction to know the difference between who I am as a person and how society views me as a human being,” says Vick.

Justin Jones of Somerville: The first-year student is a business administration major. “I was born and raised in Somerville, New Jersey, and like Paul Robeson, I’m a grad of Somerville High. My parents and many family members were also raised in Somerville and we have all enjoyed the very diverse community the town has to offer. Although Paul Robeson lived in a much more hostile time, he still had an exemplary way of proving to racists how great a person can be regardless of their skin color. He excelled in all aspects of his life and fought injustices all over the world with dignity,” says Jones.

“We’re excited to advance the generosity of our donors through these new scholarship offerings in support of RVCC students,” says Mike Marion, Executive Director of the RVCC Foundation.  The College’s own data suggests that life in the pandemic continues to challenge students: 44% of RVCC students describe their personal financial situation as worse than it was before the pandemic; for Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx students, it’s even worse at 56% and 52%, respectively.

“We’re especially grateful to be part of a community so committed to providing support where it’s needed and to keeping our students on track to successful outcomes,” adds Marion. “And we have plenty of room for more caring and generous donors who value the role of RVCC and its impact.”

The Emerging Heroes Nursing Scholarship is given to an eligible RVCC student who is majoring in Nursing or Nursing-PNAD. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

The Evelyn S. Field Scholarship honors a distinguished educator, women's and civil rights activist, and founding member of the RVCC Board of Trustees. The scholarship is available to Black/African American, matriculating high school graduates who attend RVCC as a freshman. Students must have a high school GPA of 3.0 or greater. Preference is given to students who reside in Somerset or Hunterdon counties.

The Paul Robeson Scholarship honors a Somerville High School graduate and global icon, scholar, athlete, concert artist, and stage and film actor who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his political and civil rights activism. The scholarship is available to Black/African American, matriculating high school graduates who attend RVCC as a freshman. Students must have a high school GPA of 3.0 or greater. Preference is given to students who reside in Somerset or Hunterdon counties.

For additional information about supporting the College or the RVCC Foundation, contact Mike Marion, michael.marion@raritanval.edu, call 908-648-8567, or visit www.rvccfoundation.org.  


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 22, 2021

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #45