Lakewood, New Jersey is home to an exceptionally diverse community consisting of people from different racial and religious backgrounds. This diversity is Lakewood's distinguishing characteristic. It provides an opportunity for the youth to be exposed to people and cultures from all around the globe. This scholarship acknowledges that Lakewood’s diversity is one of its most valuable teachings. Speaking from experience, this exposure has proven to be a tremendous advantage when interacting with people in social, academic, and professional settings.

After I graduated from Lakewood High School in 2008, I decided to create a scholarship to give back to the community that had helped mold me into the young adult I was. During that first year, I scraped together the most money that a broke college freshman could— totaling just over $88.  I had to ask my mom for help to make it to a full $100.  She wrote the scholarship check for me so that the recipient wouldn’t receive a scholarship in singles, quarters, nickels, and dimes (Thanks, Ma!).  Sure, it didn’t seem as official or legitimate as the other scholarships but that didn’t matter.  What mattered was that by just applying, students could realize and acknowledge one of Lakewood’s greatest gifts: diversity.