Four North Brunswick youngsters are being recognized this summer for their achievements as scholars, athletes and artists.
The township Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services presented the Scholar/Athlete/Artist awards during a July council meeting to Jocelyn Rose Acosta and Nicole DeMato. This month, Brody Schrepfer and Joey Gaston received the awards.
Jocelyn attends Princeton Friends School. Her favorite subjects are art and physical education. Her artwork has been displayed in Small World Coffee in Princeton. An avid reader and writer, she enjoys presenting oral reports and has performed in storytelling and poetry, according to a press release.
Jocelyn is a member of her school’s Chimes Club, whose members were cast in a nationally aired television commercial for Radio Shack this year.
The rising fourth-grader has been skating and playing hockey since she was 4. The only girl on her ice hockey team, she is its leading scorer. She has completed her second year on the New Jersey Stars travel team, which took second place in the Shamrock Shutdown Tournament and first place at the Winter Classic Tournament.
Jocelyn is a member of the recreation department’s Rapids Swim Team, with her favorite event being the 100-meter individual medley. She also plays soccer for the North Brunswick Soccer Club, where her team won the championship last season.
She is also active in community outreach programs, working with S.A.V.E. Animal Rescue, Friends to Homeless Animals, the children of George School and the Noor-Ul- Iman School. Nicole attended Linwood Middle School and was a high-honor roll student all three years. She will attend North Brunswick Township High School in September.
She played with the recreation department’s lacrosse team in elementary and middle school, and intends to play in high school.
She became a member of the North Brunswick Rapids Swim Team when she was 6, and swims for Club Team Riptide.
The soon-to-be freshman has won first place numerous times with the Rapids in the league championships, has broken two Riptide records and has received awards including Most Team Spirit and Most Points Earned.
Nicole has volunteered in the Linwood Middle School office; sorted clothing, toys and household items for homeless shelters; and packed boxes of food items for Feed the Children.
Brody will enter fourth grade at Judd Elementary School. He has played piano since he was 3, and was a member of the thirdgrade chorus at Judd, where he performed as a vocal soloist.
He is a participant in the George Street Playhouse Summer Academy, where he is portraying the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz.”
Brody plays soccer for the Legends, North Brunswick’s 9U travel team, and he is a second-year member of the Rapids Swim Team. He recently completed the winter season with the Raritan Valley Riptide, where he set a team record for the 500- meter freestyle.
According to the proclamation, Brody is known for random acts of kindness and compassion in his community. For example, when he saw that a student could not participate in regular gym class, he made his classmate feel included by joining the student on the sidelines.
Joey will be entering his senior year at North Brunswick Township High School in September. A member of varsity crosscountry, varsity track and varsity swim teams, he broke the school’s all-time 200- meter free relay record.
Joey, a black belt in karate, has been a member of the Rapids Swim Team for 11 years, contributing to five championships.
The township lifeguard has volunteered at the Cops n’ Rodders car show, the Youth Sports Festival, National Night Out and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 5K Walk-a-Thon.