Being a good friend, student and an athlete matters. The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s (NNJCF) The Class of 1964 Ralph Gregg Memorial Scholarship Fund announces Leonia High School senior Richard Cho was named its seventeenth recipient. He received a scholarship for $1,000 at the high school’s awards ceremony on June 2, 2022. This fall, Cho plans to attend The College of New Jersey. The NNJCF donor advised fund memorializes Leonia High School 1964 classmate Ralph Gregg.
Friendship Matters
The scholarship award is given to a student seeking to further his or her education receives the award. They must be a member of an athletic team and hold a B grade point average or better. In addition, they must demonstrate some financial need. “Being a friend is a key part of the scholarship award. The recipient must demonstrate the ability to relate to everyone, be a true friend, and be humorous. We take pride in the Ralph Gregg scholarship being different because its main focus is not on academics or athletics but on friendship and being a great classmate. Frequently, this is the only scholarship our recipient receives,” said Doug Bauer, a member of The Ralph Gregg Scholarship Fund’s advisory committee.
Leonia High School senior Richard Cho (left) received the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s The Class of 1964 Ralph Gregg Memorial Scholarship Fund’s 2022 award from Doug Bauer (right), a member of the advisory committee.
While working as a tutor at A&A Prep and with the accounting and tax service firm of Seil LLP, he juggled his academic and athletic schedule. During high school, Cho was very active on sports teams and assumed leadership roles. As a freshman, he started as a runner on the Varsity Track team. Cho continued to become captain, during his junior and senior years. He also played Varsity Basketball during his freshman, sophomore, and senior years.
Among his extracurricular activities, he became very involved with DECA, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit career and technical student organization, through all four years of high school. Notably, Cho attended the state conference twice and was a finalist his senior year. He also volunteered at the food stand at the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) soccer game.
Philanthropic Opportunities
For nearly 25 years, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation has served the community. The foundation offers a comprehensive menu of philanthropic opportunities. The NNJCF focuses primarily on the arts, civic engagement, education, the environment, philanthropy, and public health. The Foundation also provides donors with flexible, efficient, and tax-effective ways to ensure their charitable giving has maximum impact. This is accomplished through donor-advised funds, tax-saving annuities, and trust options.
“The Northern NJ Community Foundation encourages philanthropy at any level. People of different income levels can become philanthropists. The NNJCF is unique because our minimum fee to establish a charitable fund is significantly lower than other community foundations. This allows individual donors and groups of donors greater access to the benefits of this type of charitable vehicle,” said Danielle De Laurentis, Associate Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.
For further information about the NNJCF, The Class of 1964 Ralph Gregg Memorial Scholarship Fund, or to set up a charitable fund, call 201-568-5608 or send an e-mail.
