CBA Awards Presidential Scholarships to Incoming Eighth Graders
January 18, 2018
Christian Brothers Academy awarded 14 Presidential Scholarships on Wednesday, January 10th to eighth graders who scored exceptionally high on the Academy’s entrance exam.
The Presidential Scholarships are part of CBA’s expanding Scholarship Initiative, which began in 2012. The Scholarship Initiative is aimed, as its tagline states, to make the impossible possible for qualified students to attend CBA.
It was CBA’s first president, Brother Andrew O’Gara, who made it his mission to make CBA affordable for any qualified student. Brother Andrew’s vision continues on with the Scholarship Initiative, as CBA now awards nearly 50 full and partial scholarships to deserving students.
One of the three Presidential Scholarships bears Brother Andrew’s name. The second scholarship honors St. John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, which has operated CBA since its opening in 1959. The third scholarship, the Founders’ Scholarship, is in memory of the three laymen founders of the Academy: John Henderson, Peter Fleming, and Dr. George Sheehan.
The Academy awards a combined $1.5 million in scholarships and financial aid to its current students.
“We congratulate all the winners of the Presidential Scholarships,” said CBA President Brother Frank Byrne ’75. “These Presidential Scholarships are each named after individuals who have a significant connection to the work we do at CBA. The students who received the scholarships have demonstrated in middle school that they are qualified to earn such an award.”
The 14 winners of the Presidential Scholarships were in attendance at a short award ceremony on January 10th in CBA’s Quinn Library.
The students were invited to bring their parents and their middle school administrators with them to share in the special moment. Students from schools received scholarships:
- Bayshore Middle School (Middletown): Nicholas Drew, Nicholas Habakus
- Cedar Drive Middle School (Colts Neck): Dylan Eschinger
- Holy Innocents School (Neptune): TC Taylor
- Knollwood School (Fair Haven): Luke Ronayne, Peter Rawlins
- Markham Place School (Little Silver): Dylan Cupo
- Oak Hill Academy (Lincroft): Justin Weber
- St. Catharine’s School (Spring Lake): William Hines
- St. Jerome’s School (West Long Branch): Corey Zeitlinger
- St. Leo’s School (Lincroft): Andrew Sasso, Jason Gentile, Aidan Guinnessey
- Thompson Middle School (Middletown): Shane Wedlock
The eighth graders were able to hear a short speech from CBA junior Nicholas Hanlon about his experiences at the Academy. Hanlon, who had been awarded a scholarship as an incoming freshman, is now the student council vice president, a runner on the varsity track team, and a school ambassador.
“You have proven that you are prepared to take on the CBA challenge,” Hanlon told the eighth graders. “There are so many academic opportunities for you here. And aside from academics, there are so many things for you to get involved in at CBA because of the great school spirit and our students’ ambition.”
Brother Frank, Principal R. Ross Fales and Hanlon spoke about the 25 Advanced Placement courses, 50 clubs and activities, and the 18 varsity sport programs currently offered at CBA.
They also touched on the focus CBA has on its students’ preparation for college. The Class of 2017 was awarded over $23.5 million in merit-based, academic scholarships.
Not including athletic scholarships or grants, 65 percent of the students were awarded college scholarships. Five of those seniors were named National Advanced Placement Scholars and attended universities such as Cornell University, Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania.
“You have all heard great things about CBA,” Hanlon continued. “But you are all now in a position to experience it yourself. The academic excellence, the brotherhood, and the culture are all yours for the taking. You won’t find that anywhere else.”
About Christian Brothers Academy:
Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) is a private, Catholic, academic preparatory school for boys located in Lincroft, New Jersey. Founded in 1959 and taught in the Lasallian tradition, CBA is dedicated to helping students become intellectually mature and morally responsible leaders for society. Through the combined efforts of the Office of Advancement and friends of the Academy, CBA awards over $1.5 million in scholarships and financial aid to current students. Experience the Academy at www.CBALincroftNJ.org.