East Windsor’s Christian Pisano Earns Scholarship from NJCTS

One year since the Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day was instituted in New Jersey, the NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, Inc. (NJCTS) celebrated with an awards ceremony at the War Memorial in Trenton on Thursday, June 6. During the ceremony, NJCTS presented fifteen scholarships to graduating New Jersey seniors, including Christian Pisano, 18, of East Windsor.

Scholarships were given by NJCTS to accomplished high school seniors who live with Tourette Syndrome (TS)—an inherited, neurological disorder that affects 1 in 100 individuals.

Christian “continues to make strides towards his lofty goals in spite of what others might consider insurmountable difficulties. I believe he can do anything he puts his mind to,” states Christian’s high school counselor, Rick Smith. Because of the difficulties he has faced in his life, Christian would like to pursue a career in the medical field so he can continue to help others like they helped him. Christian is beginning Nursing School at Mercer County Community College in the fall. He says in his scholarship essay, “If the idiom is true that life is ‘sink or swim’ then I am going to keep calm and swim on…..”

“We could not be more proud of these young men and woman and all that they have accomplished during their high school career,” said Faith Rice, Executive Director of NJCTS. “They have shown that TS does not have to hold you back. We wish them well in college and in all of their future endeavors.”

Christian’s scholarship winning essay can be found at www.njcts.org/teens4ts.

The NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, the nation’s first Center for Excellence for Tourette Syndrome, is a not-for-profit organization committed to the advocacy of children and families with Tourette Syndrome and its associated disorders. Dedicated to delivering high quality services to these individuals, the Center recognizes the importance of educating the public, medical professionals, and teachers about this disorder through programs and affiliations with public schools, health centers, and universities. To learn more about Tourette Syndrome and the programs available from NJCTS, visit www.njcts.org.