Centenary Honors Budd Lake Woman and Other Students For Leadership

BY CHERYL CONWAY STAFF WRITER

MOUNT OLIVE - Izabelle

Weisman of Budd Lake is one of 18 college students of Centenary University in Hackettstown to receive an award at the annual Student Leadership Award Ceremony held on May

1. The ceremony celebrated outstanding contributions to the university and surrounding communities.

“Each year, Centenary University recognizes the accomplishments of students who make an impact on others, both on campus and in our local community,” said Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Kerry Mullins. “I’m extremely proud of this year’s recipients, who go above and beyond to create a vibrant student community and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.”

Weisman received the Dr. Charles Frederickson Award, a scholarship in honor of Dr. Frederickson, a professor of psychology at Centenary and member of the university community for 29 years. The award is presented to a student who

BY ROBERT MASSIMI GUEST WRITER

AREA - Life of Pi at the Schoenfeld Theatre brings two powerful things to this show, sensational projections and an incredible performance by lead actor Hiran Abeysekera (Pi).

Playwright Lolita Chakrararti keeps the play for the most part steadfast to the novel by Yann Martel.It takes a while in the first act to pick up steam, but when it does, it is quite moving exemplifies Frederickson’s high ethical standard and leadership skills that enable others to make positive life choices.

Devon Vialva, assistant dean of diversity and inclusion and Educational Opportunity Program director and graduate of Centenary University, provides some justification to Weisman as the perfect recipient of this award.

“As a former student of Dr. Fredrickson for Introduction to Psychology, I remember his personal stance on considering the position of a person and the impacts of their environments,” says Vialva. “He understood how this may have had an impact on their humanity. Izabelle, throughout her time with us at Centenary, always considered the student and their needs. She understood the power of her writing and the necessity to help others to strengthen theirs.

“Izabelle clearly encompasses the characteristics of the Dr. Frederickson Award, which is presented to a candidate who ‘displays evidence of high ethical behavior and leads others to make positive life choices,’” continued Vialva. “From her work with Sunday School students to her seamless giving to fellow college students, Izabelle never wavered from her responsibilities. She gave countless hours of support to anyone in need and made herself available for all.”

Elizabeth C. Selikson-Nowicki, executive administrative assistant to president for student life and dean of students, says, “Izabelle is a very strong academic student who is a leader in the community and a role model for her peers. All of her life choices in her college career lead her to be the perfect candidate to be a teacher in her community.”

Weisman received her B.S. degree in English with a 3.9 GPA on May 6. A Dean’s List student, she has been extremely involved on campus promoting communication and literacy.

As a contributor to and editor of the Education Buzz newsletter, Weisman interviews educators and peers to compose articles on topics related to the field of education. She has also served as editor-in-chief of “The Prism,” the university’s literary and fine arts magazine, and as parliamentarian of Kappa Delta Epsilon, an honorary professional education fraternity.

Since 2020, Weisman has been a writing peer tutor for fellow Centenary students at The Writing Collaboratory, a center where students can find assistance in improving their writing through collaboration with trained peer tutors. In the community, Weisman has been a Sunday School teacher at Calvary Chapel Morris Hills in Dover for the past nine years.

In addition to the Dr. Charles Frederickson Award, Weisman has been presented with a host of honors at Centenary, including the Collaborative Leadership Award, Outstanding Leadership in the English Department, Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, Chi Alpha Epsilon Honor Society, and the Harry Strickhausen Endowed Memorial Scholarship, which is presented to a

Centenary University English student in honor of a former Centenary University professor who was a poet, author, collector, and Gates-Ferry Distinguished Visiting Lecturer.