Administered by the New Brunswick Education Foundation (NBEF), these scholarships are an inaugural set of NBT-established funds at NBEF to help students with educational costs (e.g. tuition, room and board, books, transportation, etc.) To celebrate these students’ achievements, many attended a virtual ceremony to honor all the scholarship recipients, including the High School Administration, Faculty and Staff, New Brunswick Public School Leadership, NBT and NBEF staff.
 
Emmanuel Ford, Founder and Executive Director of NBEF, remarked, “This is a special year for NBEF. It is the 15th anniversary of our scholarship program, and in spite of COVID-19, we have this wonderful opportunity to invest in the outstanding scholars of the New Brunswick High School Class of 2021.”
 
NBT recognizes that programs such as AVID help students achieve academically and are vital to giving students opportunities for the future. However, their path forward becomes significantly more difficult without the financial means to advance. These scholarships awarded by NBT present an opportunity for us to continue moving students forward.
 
Jian Bland, NBT’s Director of Community Youth Services, said, “NBT has provided support of the NBHS AVID Program since its inception within the district, and we are pleased to sponsor 10 scholarships for AVID Seniors with titles and criteria that are representative of NBT’s mission, programs, and service to youth and the community at-large.”
 
NBT’s flagship scholarship, the “Moving People Forward Scholarship,” embodies the collaborative nature of NBT’s history and the holistic nature of its work. The Moving People Forward scholarships focus on providing support to students who are well-rounded members of their community, with an orientation towards service and bettering the lives of others. These scholarships were awarded to Beniamino Iovine, David Garcia Rojas, Edgar Niet Lopez, Hugo Martinez Cuevas, and Tyree Pacheco, in the amount of $1,000 each.
 
Representing NBT’s health pillar, the $1,250 “Community Health Scholarship” was awarded to Crystal Cruz for her interest in being a part of the broader health community and doing so in a way that advocates for the diversity of the community to be at the center of health practices and practitioners.
 
The “Neighborhood Builder Scholarship” focuses on providing resources to a student who has demonstrated a willingness and interest in helping their community in school, in extracurricular activities, and in employment. This $1,250 scholarship was awarded to Alexis Betancourt as a representation of NBT’s neighborhood revitalization pillar.
 
The “Scholarship for Excellence,” representing NBT’s interest in rewarding hard work and achievement, was awarded to Erika Garcia Tejada, in the amount of $1,500. The “Scholarship for Excellence” is focused on providing a student who has demonstrated academic excellence with both additional resources and acknowledgment of extraordinary academic dedication and ability.
 
The $1,500 “Social Justice Scholarship” awarded to Asaunti Greene recognizes NBT’s stance as an organization in support of social justice issues and marginalized communities. The “Social Justice Scholarship” focuses on providing support for a student who has chosen to take on a cause-driven initiative either in the past, at present, or during their time at a college or university.
 
Finally, NBT’s “Youth of the Year Scholarship” of $1,500 was awarded to Stacey Garcia Zuniga for embodying the values we champion. Stacey demonstrated optimism, integrity, leadership, collaboration, and community -- all traits indicative of the amalgamation of our mission.
 
Congratulations to all scholarship recipients! We look forward to seeing your future successes.

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