Bill Barkhauer, executive director of Morristown Municipal Airport, addresses guests at the eighth annual Scholarship Awards Breakfast.
By Jack Elliott
On June 28, 16 students from four high schools near Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU) received scholarships from the airport at the eighth annual Scholarship Awards Breakfast at the nearby Park Avenue Club. Bill Barkhauer, airport executive director, told guests that this year’s scholarships brought the total amount of awards granted to $136,000. He also said that the winners this year were the most impressive group in the program’s history.
A number of New Jersey elected officials spoke at the ceremony. Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, a longtime supporter of general aviation in the state, congratulated both the students and MMU. Assemblyman Richard Merkt referred to the scholarship winners as “America’s future.” He commended D. M. Airport Developers Inc., operator of the airport, and said the scholarship program “is America at its best.” Hanover Mayor Ron Francoli also commended D. M. Airports.
Jay Delaney, former mayor of Morristown, emphasized the importance of education by drawing from his own family background. His mother had a sixth grade education; his father had a limited education as well, but received a GED diploma and then went on to college. All six of his children graduated from college; one earned a medical degree and one a law degree.
The criteria for the scholarship awards of $1,250 is based on academics, extracurricular activities and work experience or volunteer activities. This year’s scholarship winners from Morristown High School are Sophia D’Angelo, who will study economics at Princeton University; Michael Hamfeldt, who will major in electrical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology; Molly Hess, who plans to be an English major at Franklin & Marshall College; Jonathan Katz, who will study creative writing at Dartmouth College; Eileen Madden, planning to major in education at Boston College; James Murphy, who will study marine biology at the University of Hawaii; Erin Olander, who will be a history student at Boston College; and Lauren Skibiel, planning to major in Latin at Vanderbilt University.
L to R, bk: James Murphy, Lauren Skibiel, Mario Porciello-Donnarumma, Rishi Phakey, Michael Hamfeldt, Bill Barkhauer. Ft: Sophia D’Angelo, Molly Hess, Jonathan Katz, Eileen Madden, Erin Olander, Julie Steinway, Lulu Tsao, Kate Mayans, Alessandra Scalera.
Winners from Whippany Park High School are Kate Mayans, who will major in math at Yale University; Melissa Meggiolaro, who will study business at Villanova University; Alessandra Scalera, planning to study finance at the University of Delaware; and Lulu Tsao, who will major in biological sciences at Harvard College.
Hanover Park High School’s winners are Douglas Bundschuh, who plans to study pharmacy at Northeastern University, and Julie Steinway, who will be a biology major at the College of New Jersey.
The scholarship winners from Madison High School are Rishi Phakey, who plans to study biology at Rutgers University, and Mario Porciello-Donnarumma, who will major in chemistry at Rutgers University.