MARY K. & SALVATORE J. FANALE SCHOLARSHIP ACHIEVEMENT > PHILANTHROPHY > RECOGNITION staying power,” she said. She is historian of the Bioinformatics Club, a member of the Chemistry Club, Phi Theta Kappa, the Golden Key Honor Society and the National Society for Collegiate Scholars. She is also in the TAS Research Honors Program and active in the Women’s Center. Abigail is proud to have completed a highly competitive summer research internship, Research in Science and Engineering, at Rutgers University. Abstracts for the research she conducted there and research she is engaged in at Ramapo College were accepted for poster presentations at two conferences. Abigail has a 3.94 grade point average. Megan Morgan of Bloomfield, NJ is a Social Work major. Megan says she wanted to be the girl who became something out of nothing. She is steadfastly working toward that goal. At 21, she became the kinship guardian of her three younger siblings after no one else in the family was deemed qualified to do so. Megan tried to balance classes at another state college, her job at a Starbucks and parenthood. She remained a guardian for seven months. The siblings were then placed with Megan’s and their grandmother, where they continue to live. Megan said that as difficult as the seven months were, it was extremely fulfilling and led her to want to become a social worker. “I want to be the voice that tells people, ‘Yes, you do have hope.’ If I can help one person, it will be worth it,” she said. “I want to help and be a social worker.” Megan would like to work in a school setting, listening to children and helping them battle the feeling of isolation that often affects those from dysfunctional homes. Megan has a 3.55 grade point average.
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fter raising eight children, I was excited when my husband suggested that I attend college and obtain that long-desired accomplishment of a college degree,” wrote Mary Fanale. So, at 56, she enrolled at Ramapo, taking courses in the School of American and International Studies. For three years, Mrs. Fanale reveled in her studies and was an active college student, serving as secretary of the Center for Returning Students. “I believe the feelings for older student is so good that we fit in perfectly,” she said. Sadly, Mrs. Fanale died in 1981 before finishing her degree. In memory of her contributions to the Ramapo community and to support other mature students who seek excellence in their studies, Mrs. Fanale’s husband and children established an endowed scholarship fund in her name. At Salvatore Fanale’s death in 2006, the Fanale children directed additional funds to significantly build the endowment. The Mary K. Fanale Memorial Scholarships recognize high-achieving female students who are New Jersey residents and are non-traditional college age. Abigail Ameri of New City, NY is a Bioinformatics major. Her education has been disrupted more than once due to Lyme disease, which has caused Abigail to endure grueling medical treatments and take off time from her course work. “I think I am a good candidate for a scholarship because I have a proven record of commitment and incredible 63
“The scholarship I received not only gave me a head start with my student loan payments but it gave me extra confidence in my skill set and motivation to continue to excel in all my academic endeavors.” Megan Morgan