Bridgewater-Raritan Scholar-Athlete Awarded $1,000 Scholarship

By John Patten

Marisa Ruskan, a Bridgewater-Raritan High School 2013 graduate, was one of four Somerset County students honored as scholar-athletes by the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The NJSIAA awarded the four students a total of $2,500 in college scholarships, including Ruskan's $1,000 scholarship from the New Jersey State Golf Association.

Since 1993, the NJSIAA has honored more than 5,800 New Jersey high school students and distributed more than $1 million in college scholarships through its scholar program. In 2013 alone, NJSIAA gave a total of $133,500 to more than 170 high school students throughout the state.

The other county students honored were: 

• Manoj Bhagroo, of Bound Brook High School, recipient of Honig's of New Jersey $500 scholarship;

• Luke Graboyes, a Watchung Hills Regional student receiving a $500 scholarship from the NJSGA;

• Caitlin Carroll, a Mount St. Mary Academy student receiving a $500 scholarship from Investors Savings Bank.  

Officials at each NJSIAA member high school have the opportunity to select one senior student as their scholar-athlete of the year.  The scholarships, donated by NJSIAA corporate sponsors and other organizations supportive of high school sports in New Jersey, are awarded by random drawings. 

All the scholar-athletes’ names are entered in the drawings for all scholarships for which they are eligible. While some scholarships are only available to students attending schools in specific counties or participating in specific sports, most are offered statewide to students in all sports. There is a limit of one scholarship per student athlete.