Newark Housing Authority Scholarship Foundation Hosts 12th Annual Golf Outing

Event will also honor Donald Shauger of The Shauger Group, Inc. for his continuous support and commitment to higher education

NEWARK, N.J. — The Newark Housing Authority Scholarship Foundation will be hosting its 12th Annual Golf Classic on Monday, October 5 at the Essex County Country Club in West Orange. At the event, eight Newark Housing Authority students will each be presented with a $5,000 scholarship to be used for higher education. This is the largest class of recipients in the Foundation’s recent history and every dollar raised during the event will be used to provide NHA’s students with the financial support needed to achieve their dream of attending college.

“The Newark Housing Authority Scholarship Foundation has played a critical role in helping our young residents achieve academic and career success,” said Executive Director Victor Cirilo. “It is through the generosity of our business partners and private donors that we are able to continue out our mission to ensure that all Newark Housing Authority students pursue their dreams, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.”

Among recipients of this year’s scholarship is Anamaire Bueno, an 18-year-old graphic design major at Bloomfield College. When she was 6 years old, her mother became disabled and the thought of caring for her mother and having the financial means to attend college was daunting. After receiving the scholarship and having interned with both Panasonic and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Bueno is confidently one step closer to achieving her dream of educating others about their rights through designs she creates.

“I was shocked when I got the letter stating that I was a recipient of the scholarship,” said Bueno. “It was a shocking but happy and grateful feeling. When my mom became disabled, her first worry was about my future and paying for college. That’s what this scholarship means to me – it means nothing is holding me back and someone is supporting me and my dreams.”

The remaining scholarship recipients are:

• ●  Imoya Brooks, is an 18-year-old social work major at Seton Hall University who has dreams of opening her own recreation center for children.
• ●  Shakon Cummings, 18, who is pursuing a nursing degree at Morgan State University after recognizing a lack of black male nurses.
• ●  Kasandra Maldonado, and 18-year-old Caldwell University student pursuing a nursing career after seeing how vital this position was during the COVID-19 pandemic
• ●  Leila Delaney, 18, is attending Rutgers University in Newark and is planning for a career in the medical field to give back to her community in a meaningful way.
• ●  Tasawn Roberts is an 18-year-old finance major and political science minor at Rutgers University New Brunswick who aspires to earn a law degree and open a nonprofit in Newark to assist low income families
• ●  Aniya Saunders, 18, is studying criminal justice and Essex County Community College and has enjoyed volunteering with her mother. Her scholarship has helped her pay for books and other materials for class.
• ●  Zahmir Johnson is an 18-year-old sports management major who hopes to become a sports agent for the NBA. He’s volunteered at the homeless shelter and interred at Beth Israel Hospital.

Registration for the event begins at 10:30 a.m. followed by lunch at 10:45 a.m. A Shotgun tournament will tee off at 12:30 p.m., with the day concluding with a cocktail reception honoring the scholarship recipients at 6:00 p.m.

The event will also honor Donald Shauger of The Shauger Group, Inc. for his long time and continuous commitment to the residents of Newark and surrounding communities.

“Life is full of challenges and struggles that test us, but it’s important to never let them get in the way of your hopes, dreams, and goals,” said Donald Shauger. “I will never hesitate to pay it forward and do anything I can to make someone else’s life better. When you work hard, take advantage of a good education and other opportunities, and surround yourself with the right people, it opens countless doors to a bright future.”

For more information about tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jennifer Kohl at nhagolfouting@gmail.com or at www.newarkha.org/nhasf.

About the Newark Housing Authority Scholarship Foundation: The Newark Housing Authority Scholarship Foundation (NHASF) was founded in 1988 in effort to provide financial assistance to students who reside in public and supported housing that have proven their desire to earn a college degree. Since its inception, NHASF has awarded in excess of $ 2,500,000 in scholarships and financial assistance for related college costs to over 500 economically disadvantaged young people. These ambitious young people are often the first in their family to attend college and break the cycle of poverty. In addition to demonstrating financial need, the students excel academically and participate in a range of community and extracurricular activities. The scholarship fund is critical to the success of those students who have proven their desire to earn a college degree. The purpose of this program is to increase the likelihood of high school students from Newark entering and graduating from college. Recipients have attended local, regional and nationally recognized schools and universities such as Spelman College, Rutgers University, Montclair State University, Franklin & Marshall and the University of Bridgeport.