Morris County Freeholders Announce 2020 NJAC Foundation Scholarships

Published on September 18, 2020

Two Recipients are Graduates of Morris County School of Technology

Scholarships awarded to two Morris County School of Technology students by the New Jersey Association of Counties Foundation (NJAC) were announced this month by the Morris County Board of Freeholders.

The recipi(PNG, 16KB)ents were students Siddharth Lagu of Denville and Mailyn Castro of Bound Brook, both of whom planned to pursue career studies at Rutgers University. The scholarships were made possible by donations from Investors Bank and Investors Bank Foundation, which support the annual scholarship program.

We are very proud of these two outstanding students who are being honored by the NJAC for their academic excellence and for their community spirit, said Freeholder Director Deborah Smith.

Traditionally, the scholarships are presented at a public meeting of the freeholders by NJAC Executive Director John G. Donnadio. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the students were provided their checks by mail with letters of congratulations from the freeholder board.

Investors Bank through the Investors Foundation recently awarded the NJAC Foundation a grant of $21,000 for county vocational-technical school graduates who plan to continue their education at a county college or state college or university. The NJAC Foundation has distributed $500 scholarships to two students in each of New Jersey's 21 counties.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the NJAC Foundation, it's my pleasure to announce Mailyn Castro and Siddharth Lagu as the 2020 Morris County recipients of the Investors Foundation Scholarship Program, said Donnadio in a letter to the freeholders.(PNG, 33KB)

The Morris County School of Technology (MCST), which Lagu and Castro attended, is a vocational magnet public high school located in Denville and operating as part of the Morris County Vocational School District (MCVSC).

MCVSC Superintendent Scott Moffit and the school issued statements on behalf of each student.

Sidd (Lagu) has moved to the U.S. from Canada and has faced many struggles along the way. He works extremely hard and is deserving of this award, Moffit said.

Lagu planned to attend Rutgers to pursue studies in biology.

Mailyn (Castro) has faced more hardships in her life than anyone could ever imagine, but she continues to persevere. I am so proud of who she has become. She traveled by two trains to get to MCST because when she was forced to relocate, she wanted to continue to pursue her passion in healthcare, Moffit said.

Castro planned to attend Rutgers to pursue studies in pediatric medicine.

The NJAC Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to providing innovative educational opportunities for students of county vocational-technical schools and county colleges. Additional details about NJAC and the NJAC Foundation may be found at: www.njac.org.