Juniors and seniors in Hillsborough High School with an interest in a life of service in local government will have another shot at one of three $1,000 scholarships through the New Jersey League of Municipalities’ Louis Bay II, Future Municipal Leaders Scholarship Competition.
During a recent township committee meeting, Mayor Gloria McCauley announced that the municipality and the Hillsborough Township Public School District were teaming up again to participate in the statewide competition.
“We are delighted to partner with the township through the New Jersey League of
Municipalities to participate in this scholarship competition opportunity for our students,”
Superintendent of Hillsborough Township Schools Dr. Jorden Schiff said.
Named after Louis Bay 2nd, a former mayor of Hawthorne in Passaic County and 60 year member/former president of the League of Municipalities, the scholarship competition is in its 24th year. Each year, the competition offers three $1,000 scholarships for the entire state.
League of Municipalities Scholarship Committee Chairman Chuck Chiarello said the overall goal of the competition was to emphasize the importance of the men and women who make local government run.
“The purpose of this scholarship is to advance the virtues of elected and volunteer positions in municipal government while raising awareness of municipal government in general,” he said in a letter announcing the competition.
In order to participate, students are required to write an essay on the them “What My Municipal Government Does Best,” based on their “perceptions and experiences with [their] local government.” Officials said entries should be approximately 500 words and should consider the “public contributions of your municipal government.”
Once all entries are submitted to McCauley by the March 1 deadline, she will select one state semi-finalist to move on to the next round. From there, that individual’s essay and application will be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.
At all levels, each submission will be judged on an essay’s “appropriateness of theme, effective articulation of the theme, originality and technical composition, spelling and syntax.”
The league’s committee will then select 15 finalists and three winners. All finalists will be awarded certificates, but the three winners will receive the $1,000 scholarship from their respective mayor at a hometown ceremony. Winning essays will also be features in the New Jersey Municipalities magazine.
More information regarding the scholarship competition can be found on the Naviance Program used by the school district, as well as the guidance office at the high school.