April 5, 2024
When Joel and Shelley Siegel worked with the Community Foundation’s team to structure a scholarship fund, one of their top priorities was to “see firsthand the impact we were having on young people”. To that end, we’re pleased to share this note from Siegel Scholar Ashley Laveriano, a student at Dartmouth College.
From the winding backroads of West Virginia to the serene trails of Maine, Dartmouth has guided me to unexpected places. As a member of the Class of 2024, I stand both humbled by my journey and eager for the doors Dartmouth continues to open for me.
I have made a home at the Dartmouth Sustainability Office, where I push for a robust Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion plan and talk about environmental justice with freshmen. I have made a home in the Ernest Everett (E.E) Just Research program, where I speak ecstatically about my research with fellow scientists of color. Above all, I have made a home in the Environmental Studies Department, where I am pushed to understand ecosystems across scales.
My Dartmouth education goes beyond me. It is for my hard-working parents and their daily sacrifices. It is for my wide-eyed, inquisitive younger siblings. It is for the communities I hope to aid in our fight against climate change. Most importantly, it is for younger students who, like me, will think a Dartmouth education is out of reach. I am grateful to Ms. and Mr. Siegel and the Community Foundation of New Jersey for making my story possible. I take on the world with a greater sense of confidence and compassion undefined by financial circumstances. Because of your generosity, I know I will make great strides. I am honored to pay it forward.
The Siegel Family Scholarship gives out a minimum of four scholarships per year and sticks with the selected scholars for the full four years. The scholarship places special emphasis on students recommended by nonprofit organizations that the Siegel Family has long supported.
To learn more about scholarship funds at the Community Foundation of New Jersey, contact Faith Krueger or Colleen Smith at (973) 267-5533.