The Joanna Shyong Scholarship Fund
Joanna’s children established The Joanna Shyong Scholarship Fund in order to continue her commitment to teaching. This merit-based scholarship will be given yearly to a deserving student from Bergen County who is college bound. Donations to this fund will help to continue Joanna’s legacy of giving back.
Joanna dedicated more than 20 years of her life to teaching and shaping young minds at St. Mary’s School, and then at Demarest Middle School. She valued hard work and was known to be a “tough” teacher, but the number of people who came back years later to thank her for preparing them for high school, underscores how great of a teacher she was and how much of a positive impression she made on her students.
Family was also very important to Joanna and when she retired from teaching, she took joy in spending time with her grandchildren and travelling with her family. She also loved to cook and bake and had fun wrapping dumplings with her grandchildren and dropping off her freshly made irish soda bread to her friends.
Joanna was taken from us too soon after a battle with an aggressive appendiceal cancer. She remained optimistic throughout her treatment and always showed such great internal strength. Her family and friends take solace knowing she is at peace now and watching over all of us.
Joanna is survived by her sister, Stella Liu, her brother, Steven Yin, her husband Joseph Shyong, D.D.S, her three children, Eileen (Shawn) Trokhan, M.D., Andrew (Erin) Shyong, D.D.S, Michael (Joanne) Shyong, D.D.S. and her five grandchildren, Alexandra Trokhan, Abigail Trokhan, Harrison Trokhan, Aquinnah Shyong and Preston Shyong.
In 2026, The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s Joanna Shyong Scholarship Fund awarded its second grant to Northern Valley Regional High School Demarest. The grant provided a $1,000 scholarship to graduating senior Cassandra Vega to attend Boston University, where she plans to study Political Science/International Relations and become an international lawyer or diplomat.
During high school, Cassandra undertook several community service projects. These included participating as an intern with EDsnaps, junior editor-in-chief and freelance reporter, co-founder and co-president of Big Sister project, student representative to the Board of Education, and Northern Valley Demarest Leadership Program. She also volunteered with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, served on the Principal’s Student Advisory Committee, and coached the Bergen Volleyball Club.
This active student also assumed several leadership positions. Among her activities, Cassandra served as co-captain of the pole-vault team, secretary of the Class of 2026 officers, delegate to the Model United Nations, and co-president of Peer Mentors.
She received several awards including HSF Scholar, Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction, Northern Valley Biliterate Student in Spanish, honor roll and many more.
We wish Cassandra success in her studies and career goals!
