SEEDS Congratulates Scholars and Young Scholars Graduates Heading Off to Selective Middle and High Schools this Fall

August 29, 2019 – Newark, NJ – New Jersey SEEDS announced the graduation of 107 rising sixth-, seventh- and ninth-graders from its Scholars and Young Scholars Programs earlier this month. Students celebrated their commencement with family, friends, SEEDS Trustees, donors, and alumni on Saturday, August 3, 2019.

The Scholars and Young Scholars Programs are free 14-month initiatives for high-achieving, low-income students. SEEDS provides its scholars with rigorous academic classes over the course of two summers and the Saturdays in between. The Scholars Program serves students across the state during their eighth-grade year, providing additional coursework and application assistance for selective high schools. The Young Scholars Program works with students in the Greater Newark area in the fifth and sixth grades; in addition to academic classes, SEEDS helps students and their families with applications to selective day and junior boarding schools. 

This year, 99 percent of graduating Scholars and Young Scholars were placed into selective schools with enough financial aid to allow them to matriculate. Students will enroll in 73 schools across 15 states, and will collectively receive more than $4.7 million in financial aid directly from the schools they will attend.

“Congratulations Scholars and Young Scholars!” says John F. Castano, Executive Director of New Jersey SEEDS. “I know you can make dreams into realities. I know you will change the world. Enjoy today. You have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but I know you will be ready for it. We’re with you.”

Congratulations Young Scholars Class of 2019:

Josephine Adebambo: Gill St. Bernard’s School
Eniola Adebola: Montclair Kimberley Academy
Mary Adeola: North Star Academy
Dayanara Gonzalez: All Saints Episcopal Day School
Nylah Gonzalez: Morristown-Beard School
Jaeden Henry: Chatham Day School
Jacqueline Herrera-Perez: Gill St. Bernard’s School
Lois Kahu: Rectory School
Kamsiyochukwu Keke: Far Brook School
Daniel Lanao: Stevens Cooperative School
Sophia Lanao: The Pingry School
Brandon Linares: Fay School
Jerry Martey: The Pingry School
Jordan Mcdonald: Chatham Day School
Martin Muriith : Montclair Cooperative School
Britannia Palmer: East Orange STEM Academy
Sade Rodrigues: Stevens Cooperative School
Sarah Gonzalez: Lafayette Street School
Jaden Simon: Newark Academy
Erick Vishnay: Science Park
Elias Warner: Far Brook School
Gavin White: Morristown-Beard School

Congratulations Scholars Class of 2019:

Karein Abawi: Saddle River Day School
Muhammed-Kamal Abdul-Azeez: Westtown School
Synia Adams: Concord Academy
Samson Ajayi: Wardlaw-Hartridge School
Aaliyah Almeida: Millbrook School
Alfonso Alvarez: Webb Schools
Tasnim Anam: Princeton Day School
Vanessa Arbaiza: Frank J. Cicarell Academy
Sharon Aristizabal: Linsly School
Arianna Ar-Raheem: Girard College
Nailah Arthur: Darrow School
Katherine Asante-Tagoe: St. George’s School
Tenzin Bista: Choate Rosemary Hall
Shacil Boatswain: The Pingry School
Silas Bohannan: Woodberry Forest School
Amari Boyd: Dwight-Englewood School
Marland Bustamante: Chatham Hall School
Cherish Buxton: Miss Hall’s School
Jonathan Cajamarca: St. George’s School
Lizeth Castro : Trinity Hall
Davis Ceballos: Cambridge School of Weston
Nicole Choy: Madeira School
Cherice Clarke: Wardlaw-Hartridge School
Melvin Cojon: Gill St. Bernard’s School
Ny’Asia Concepcion: Girard College
Nasim Cosby: Don Bosco Preparatory High School
Deniz Dikici: Cambridge School of Weston
Sammuel Duque: Concord Academy
Eyram Dzokoto: Darrow School
Daniel Eafa: Church Farm School
Hassan Elfadl: Union County Vocational-Technical Schools
Na’khiya Ellis : Shady Side Academy
Mohamed Elouarraq: Solebury School
Chidinma Esielem: Suffield Academy
Deja Fitzpatrick Bell: Peddie School
Bryan Flores: The White Mountain School
Meita Fofana: Darrow School
Curtis Goines III: Girard College
Shad’e Gray: Montclair High School
Kayla Hamlin: Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child
Desirae Hemans: Gill St. Bernard’s School
Carlos Heredia: Masters School
Andres Hernandez: Oratory Preparatory School
Celia Hernandez: Saddle River Day School
Matthew Hernandez: Western Reserve Academy
Austin Herrera: Cushing Academy
Antione Hinton Jr.: Bridgewater-Raritan High School
Thamina Hoque: Cheshire Academy
Avian Josephs: West Nottingham Academy
Terry Kagiri: Montclair Kimberley Academy
Irem Kara: Passaic County Technical Institute
Laura Kahu: Brooks School
Aleena Kibria: Phillips Academy – Andover
Julia Kolenda: Westover School
Pranavi Kondam: McNair Academic High School
Joseph Linqui: Thacher School
Jazlyn Lluberes: Northwood School
Myla Long: Girard College
Emilio Lopez: St. Peter’s Preparatory School
Jean Lozano: Buxton School
Edalix Marin: Dwight-Englewood School
Sekai Marques: Kent Place School
Diosmery Martinez: High Tech High School
Giancarlo Mendoza: Hotchkiss School
Jordan Mensah-Boateng: Seton Hall Preparatory School
Folashade Olaleye: George School
Riquel Owusu: Chatham Hall School
Manuel Ponce: Mercersburg Academy
Camila Pujadas: Cambridge School of Weston
Gabriel Rangel: Worcester Academy
Kiara Robles: Dublin School
Melania Rosales: The Pingry School
Saul Salazar: Berkshire School
John Sanchez: Phillips Academy – Andover
Gurshan Sidhu: Wardlaw-Hartridge School
Glory Stephen-Wangboje: St. Paul’s School
Andreanna Sujovolsky: Salem Academy
Mateo Suspes: Shattuck-St. Mary’s School
Aisha Tasso: Concord Academy
John Torres Serrano: Christian Brothers Academy
Luis Triveno: Church Farm School
Ashley Valdez Rodriguez: Loomis Chaffee School
Wan Phil Virtudazo: Delbarton School
Om Vyas: Peddie School
Krishell Williams: George School

For high resolution photos of this year’s event, please contact Theresa Murray at tmurray@njseeds.org or at 862.227.9145.

ABOUT NEW JERSEY SEEDS
For more than 25 years, New Jersey SEEDS has provided educational access for highly motivated, low-income students and created a viable path for them to achieve their full potential. SEEDS strives for a world in which young people’s initiative, creativity and intellect can flourish without regard to socioeconomic status. Since SEEDS’ founding in 1992, more than 2,600 scholars have graduated from its programs. For more information, visit www.njseeds.org.