Are you an environmentally minded college student? Know someone who is? Because The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is looking to support scholars pursuing degrees in environmental science, policy and planning, natural resource management, geography, sustainability, park administration, and related fields. This program has been rewarding environmental scholars who plan to pursue careers protecting the natural resources of their home state for the past 36 years.
The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is now accepting applications for its 2020 Scholarship Program. Two scholarships of $7,500 each are available. Applications can be downloaded here or obtained by calling (973) 541-1010 x14. Potential candidates must be New Jersey residents currently enrolled in (and in good standing at) an accredited college or university, with at least 15 credits completed and an academic average equivalent to a 3.0 or higher.
The NEW deadline to apply is May 1, 2020.
The 2019 recipients of the Rogers Family Scholarship, Xena Itzkowitz of Manalapan, and the Russell W. Myers Scholarship, Michael Allers of Frenchtown, have not only achieved academic excellence, but embody many values of the organization, including leadership and a passion for protecting our natural resources.
Allers talks enthusiastically about what the scholarship has done for him. “As a non-traditional student I often wonder if I’m on the right path. Being recognized by an organization like the Land Conservancy of New Jersey affirms that not only am I achieving academic success, but also moving forward with passion, motivation and promise. Knowing that an organization, of which I hold such high regard for, sees in me the qualities that are worth supporting cannot be overstated. This scholarship has also made it possible for me to expand my focus and training, allowing me to become an even greater steward of our beautiful state.”
Once a small business owner designing rain catchment systems, Allers is now training to become a restoration ecologist to rehabilitate wetlands, estuaries, and coastal systems to a healthy equilibrium.While majoring in Environmental Studies at Rutgers, he hopes to complete scientific SCUBA diving courses that will enable him to perform valuable assessments for dam removal and coastal restoration projects. Not to be outdone, Xena Itzkowitz is a graduate student in International Relations and Natural Resources and Sustainable Development at American University in Washington, DC and The United Nation’s University for Peace in Costa Rica. Her research focuses on drinking water, with an emphasis on microplastic pollution—the tiny, often invisible pieces of plastic that are found in every body of water on the planet. Xena hopes to continue to contribute to the on-going dialogue in New Jersey about how to keep drinking water safe and accessible with a career in research and science communication.
In 36 years the scholarship program has awarded $285,000 in grants to 58 outstanding college students. Past recipients have hailed from nearly 40 different New Jersey towns and have used their scholarships to obtain bachelor, master’s, and doctorate degrees at an array of institutions including New Jersey’s own Rutgers and Stockton Universities. Their fields of study have included environmental law, policy, and planning, as well as chemistry, wildlife ecology, geography, landscape architecture, and forestry management. We’re so proud of their hard work. Could this year’s award be yours?