Freehold Regional High School District students who were named winners of the AAUW scholarship were (l-r) Danielle Berfond, Ariel Reinish, Heid Jen, Shannon Dwyer, Ann Lee and Ramya Natarayan. At its May meeting, the Freehold Area Branch of the American Association of University Women honored the senior girl from each of the six Freehold Regional High School District schools who had the highest average at the end of the third marking period.
The girls were given a certificate and a monetary award, named as a memorial for Rose Fishkin, a branch member and longtime supporter of AAUW. Barbara Skerry coordinated the presentation for the branch.
Colts Neck High School was represented by Ann Lee, a resident of the Morganville section of Marlboro, who has been a student in the Global Languages and Cultural Learning Center.
Among the languages she has studied, beside English, are Korean, Spanish, Russian and Japanese. Among her awards are silver medalist at the Russian Olympiad, Spanish Immersion Day participant and Enthusiastic Reader award. A peer tutor at the school, she has helped students from many countries. She plans to attend Smith College in the fall.
Freehold High School’s Ramya Natarayan, a Marlboro resident, has been part of the Medical Sciences Learning Center and wants to be a doctor.
In addition to winning science awards, she played the clarinet in several bands and was the writing editor of the literary magazine. Outside of school, she is a student of Indian classical dance. This fall she will attend The College of New Jersey, Ewing, as part of its seven-year medical program in conjunction with UMDNJ-NJMS.
Shannon Dwyer has come to Freehold Township High School from Howell to be a member of the International Studies Learning Center. She has made a name for herself in public speaking, ranking sixth in the nation in public forum debate and second in the state in domestic extemporaneous speaking among her academic achievements.
At school she has been a member of the field hockey team and varsity dance team, and is also on a competitive team at her Howell dance studio. She looks forward to attending the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
At Howell High School, Danielle Berfond, a Marlboro resident, has been a member of the Scholars Center for the Humanities. She is president of CARE (the community service club), and founder and president of CREATE (the art club) as well as being a member of the Mock Trial Competition Team and the swim team.
Her many awards for academic excellence and volunteer service won her membership in the French Honor Society and the National Honor Society. At the University of Pennsylvania, she plans to study international relations and business.
Ariel Reinish is a resident of Manalapan and attends Manalapan High School. Her many school activities include editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, choir member, French Club and the Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Prevention Team.
She is a member of the French Honor Society and the National Honor Society. Outside of school she perfects her dance abilities and works as a page at the Monmouth County library. She also raises money and awareness through a personal Internet Web site and awareness bracelets for Von-Hippel-Lindau disease, a condition that causes abnormal tumor growth.
She will be attending Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York City.
Representing Marlboro High School, Heidi Jen is a Marlboro resident. She has been an active member of the Asian Club and treasurer of her school’s National Honor Society. She has also attended Chinese school, and loves to dance. Her academic awards include National Merit Scholar and Edward J. Bloustein Scholar. Her plans for the future are to study international business at New York University.
According to a press release, AAUW branch members believe that recognizing the achievements and aspirations of girls such as these helps to fulfill AAUW’s mission to promote education for women.