Twelve WOHS Seniors Receive Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship

by Alexandra Gakos

In a continuation of a seven-year-long tradition, the Shaugers’ Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship has once again been awarded to seniors at West Orange High School (WOHS). At West Orange Senior Awards Night on June 3, 2021, twelve more graduates received scholarships through the Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship, which the Shaugers founded with the West Orange Scholarship Fund (WOSF) in 2014.

The 2021 Groves Memorial Scholarship recipients are Noah Adedjouma, Shanelle Chambliss, Amayah Clement, Andrew Cupo, Marissa Edelman, Lesly Flores, Troy Houlker, Elizabeth Marazere, William Rintzler, Kelsey Roberson, Giantonella Rojas, and Tiara Wilson.

With this year’s Groves Memorial Scholarship recipients included, a total of 61 students have been awarded the Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship to date. The scholarship carries on the legacy of former West Orange police officer Timothy Groves, a friend of the Shaugers who passed away in 2013 after a heroic battle with cancer. Given Officer Groves’ passion for law enforcement and dedication to volunteerism during his lifetime, the scholarship recognizes students who are similarly committed to community service or who demonstrate an interest in the area of law.

“We couldn’t be more proud to see such a wonderful, accomplished group of students receive the Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship,” said Lisa Shauger, president/CEO of The Shauger Group (TSG). “They embody so many of the qualities that Timothy Groves did—especially with their passions for helping and serving others, they truly honor Officer Groves by showing the same heartfelt dedication to making the world a better place.”

The Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship is geared specifically toward students who have exhibited a commitment to philanthropy, as Officer Groves had been well-known throughout West Orange for his efforts to give back to the community. It is not required that Groves Memorial Scholars be planning careers in law enforcement or criminal justice, but many of them do share Officer Groves’ interest in law, justice, and related fields. Since Officer Groves was a leader in the community, as well as in the West Orange Police Department, it has been fitting for the scholarship to honor students with similar traits. Through an application process, the WOSF committee selects recipients for the Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship based on their academic record, financial need, and extracurricular involvement.

Many of this year’s Groves Memorial Scholarship recipients also received additional scholarships at this year’s Senior Awards Night: Cupo was awarded the Dylan Pennell JROTC Scholarship, Flores got the West Orange High School Principal’s Scholarship, and Rintzler was given the West Orange Scholarship Fund General Endowment Scholarship.

As with last year’s ceremony, this year’s West Orange Senior Awards Night ceremony was held virtually; all student scholarship winners will receive their awards in the mail. While the Senior Awards Night event was held online, WOHS’s graduation ceremony was still held in person on June 24—with graduation split into three separate ceremonies to comply with CDC guidelines, 584 WOHS students received their diplomas last week.

The WOSF awarded a total of $136,650 to seniors at this year’s WOHS Senior Awards Night. Breaking all prior years’ records, the $136,650 sum was the highest total the WOSF had ever awarded in a year. There were 75 overall awards presented to 118 different graduating seniors. In fact, every applicant who applied for a WOSF scholarship this year received an award.

Remarkably, in its 98-year history, the WOSF has never missed a single year of awarding student scholarships. To date, the WOSF has awarded over $1.6 million in scholarships to student beneficiaries.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity managed and overseen by around 30 volunteer trustees, the WOSF was founded in 1923 by a group of dedicated citizens who, according to the WOSF, “recognized the need to provide financial assistance to deserving West Orange graduates who might otherwise be deprived of the opportunity of continuing their education.”

Jim Quinn, treasurer of the WOSF, wrote Donald and Lisa Shauger a heartfelt note thanking them for their continued support of the WOSF, the Groves Memorial Scholarship, and the students served by both: “On behalf of the West Orange Scholarship Fund Trustees, we cannot thank you enough for all that you have done, and continue to do, for the children of West Orange. Thank you so much for your generous support. Your commitment to charitable causes inspires me every day.”

The Shaugers made a $10,000 donation this past year to the scholarship, in memory of all West Orange residents who have died from COVID-19.

“Due to COVID, the last year and a half has been especially financially challenging for families,” said Donald Shauger, executive vice president of TSG. “We know that every bit helps, particularly during times like these, so we are honored to know the scholarship will ease the financial burden on some families. That has been an important goal of the scholarship over the last seven years: to make a difference in students’ lives and educational opportunities, while honoring the memory of Timothy Groves. Timmy was someone who dedicated his life to serving the West Orange community—not just as a police officer, but also by participating in mentorship programs and other volunteer activities to benefit the youth of West Orange. His impact on the community was long-lasting, and it means a lot that the Groves Memorial Scholarship in his name is making a lasting difference, too.”

To support the Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship, donors can send checks payable to the “West Orange Scholarship Fund” to West Orange Scholarship Fund, c/o Jim Quinn, 23 Witte Place, West Orange, NJ 07052 (note “Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship” in the memo). Donations can also be made to the WOSF online via PayPal, via the WOSF page here on the West Orange Board of Education website.

About the 2021 Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship Recipients

Noah Adedjouma: An active athlete, Adedjouma plays tennis, runs cross-country, and does track. Adedjouma participated in the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (RTOC) during his time at WOHS and is an actor as well. Adedjouma credits his experiences as an actor and with the Air Force Junior RTOC with helping him “work in—and with—groups of people for a common goal.”

Shanelle Chambliss: A three-year member of the Air Force Junior ROTC at WOHS, Chambliss is a “determined and passionate young woman.” Following closely in Officer Groves’s footsteps, Chambliss intends to pursue a career in law enforcement at St. John’s University in order to “bring justice to criminals and peace of mind to the citizens of this country.”

Amayah Clement: Service-oriented like Officer Groves, Clement has a passion for helping her community. She volunteers at West Orange’s Our Lady of Lourdes R. C. Church, which the Shaugers are also heavily involved with. Clement plans to have a career in healthcare—she is grateful to the people who have helped her throughout her life, and she sees it as a way of giving back.

Andrew Cupo: Similar to his classmates Adedjouma and Chambliss, Cupo was a member of the Air Force Junior RTOC, having participated in the program for all four years of high school. Well-rounded in his interests, Cupo also was a varsity athlete, played with the jazz band, and belonged to the award-winning WOHS marching band. Cupo’s long-term career plans center around cybersecurity or homeland security.

Marissa Edelman: With a strong zeal for promoting environmental awareness, Edelman has dedicated much of her time in high school to helping environmental-related causes. President of the Fight for Green Club, Flores also served as a student representative on the green team, where she has worked with Township Council members, supervisors, and environmental science teachers to attain a Sustainable Jersey grant for WOHS. Edelman is planning to pursue environmental law.

Lesly Flores: Very reminiscent of Officer Groves in her dedication to community service and in her career plans, Flores volunteers at a soup kitchen and plans to work for a law enforcement agency. Intending to become a crime scene investigator, Flores will major in forensic science in college. With a strong work ethic and an impressive academic record, Flores is a member of three National Honor Societies, and she has also worked to help her mother.

Troy Houlker: A highly driven individual with a love for computer science, Houlker has impressively developed his own computer game. He plans to work in the field of cybersecurity post-graduation.

Elizabeth Marazere: An accomplished student, Marazere finished high school with over a 4.0 GPA. Having received excellent grades as a result of her commitment to her studies, Marazere also was on the high honor roll and was inducted into the National Honor Society. Marazere is interested in a few different areas of study—her goal is to inspire and spread her passions no matter what she does.

William Rintzler: An extremely self-motivated individual with a passion for computer science, Rintzler has taught himself to code on his own over the last few years. Rintzler’s academic pursuits have also revolved around computer science as well—Rintzler has taken every computer course offered at WOHS, as well as a few outside of WOHS. Rintzler is considering a career in cybersecurity, as protecting “programs, businesses, and people from hackers, viruses, and malware” will be a great fit with his CS background.

Kelsey Roberson: A former intern at the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Roberson is passionate about “helping others in the pursuit of justice.” She plans to study law, with the ultimate goal of making positive improvements to our justice system. She will attend Howard University in the fall.

Giantonella Rojas: A well-rounded student, Rojas describes herself as “kind and compassionate, yet ambitious and driven.” Motivated to succeed and work hard, Rojas makes a point of setting goals for herself and pours her heart and soul into reaching them.

Tiara Wilson: With a résumé full of athletic achievements, Wilson was a member of the track and field team and received some post-season awards for her accomplishments. After having volunteered to work with displaced children, Wilson has been inspired to pursue a career in social work. She will attend Johnson C. Smith University in the fall.