{"id":6893,"date":"2013-06-11T09:45:07","date_gmt":"2013-06-11T13:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/?p=6893"},"modified":"2014-01-25T18:09:52","modified_gmt":"2014-01-25T23:09:52","slug":"a-certain-spark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/?p=6893","title":{"rendered":"\u2018A certain spark\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"harcourt\"<\/a>Nine-year-old Anna Poruks<\/strong>\u2019 life turned upside down following her parents\u2019 divorce in 2002. But before she could adjust to a new routine of shuttling back and forth between parents each week, things took a turn for the worse when her father dropped out of her life altogether. That thrust Anna\u2019s mother into the role of sole provider for Anna and her sisters. \u201cMom always had problems with alcohol use,\u201d Anna explained; the stress of working two jobs to keep a roof over her children\u2019s heads only drove her mother deeper into that addiction. The problem came to a head during a ski trip the family took some time later with the mother\u2019s new boyfriend. The children spent the day on the slopes, while the adults stayed in the bar, Anna recalled. \u201cRiding home in the car that day was one of the scariest moments of my life.\u201d Halfway back, she had to take the wheel and drive. She was 12 at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt that point I told myself, \u2018I can\u2019t do this anymore.\u2019\u201d She reached out to her aunt and uncle, who welcomed Anna and her two sisters with open arms. A few years later, when Anna began talking about attending college, her aunt and uncle again said they would help in any way they could. But having their own children\u2019s tuition to pay, they told Anna she\u2019d likely need to limit her search to community colleges. She scoffed at the idea. \u201cI told them, \u2018I\u2019m not going to community college. I want to do something great with my life,\u2019\u201d she remembers. \u201cAnd so that became my motivation to push myself even harder. I was going to show them that I could get into a great college.\u201d She just had no idea how she would be able to afford it.<\/p>\n

For the last 13 years, The Alfred Harcourt Foundation has provided scholarships to low-income TCNJ students who exhibit academic potential and who have overcome great personal challenges. The fund, which is named for Ellen Knowles Harcourt, the late wife of Alfred, one of the founders of the publishing firm Harcourt Brace, provides recipients $8,000 per year for four years of study. Since 2000, nearly 40 students have earned their TCNJ degree in large part because of the foundation\u2019s generosity.<\/p>\n

Recently, the foundation doubled the number of scholarships it awards to TCNJ students (as of Academic Year 2012\u201313, there are 25 students in the program). That decision was made in large part because of the College\u2019s record of success in graduating Harcourt recipients, Peter Jovanovich, the foundation\u2019s president, said. \u201cWe seek students from the underserved high schools in America who show the potential for success\u2026[and] TCNJ, amongst all the institutions we work with, has proven to be the best at finding and graduating our types of students.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the foundation\u2019s website, a Harcourt Scholar is someone who shows \u201ca certain spark or edge\u201d\u2014a student \u201cwho, given a chance, can overcome great difficulties.\u201d The award is need-based, so fiscal issues are a common denominator among all recipients, said Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Magda Manetas<\/strong>, who coordinates the Harcourt program at TCNJ. But money problems are seldom the only difficulties Harcourt recipients face in their quest to better their lives by receiving a college education.<\/p>\n

\"Fagel\"<\/a>
Without the Harcourt Scholarship, Vianna Fagel said she likely couldn\u2019t have afforded to attend TCNJ, which was \u201calways [her] first-choice\u201d school.<\/figcaption><\/figure>For Vianna Fagel \u201913<\/strong>, the challenges stem from having to declare herself financially independent, at age 17, from an alcoholic mother. (Fagel\u2019s father had passed away four years prior.) \u201cI realized I had to get away,\u201d she said of her decision to leave her troubled home. \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to be able to do anything with my life if I stayed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite such personal turmoil, Fagel somehow managed to do well in high school, which helped her qualify for the maximum amount of financial aid possible through Pell and Tuition Aid Grants. She also received a New Jersey Foster Care Scholarship. But Fagel said that without the Harcourt Scholarship, she likely couldn\u2019t have attended TCNJ, which was \u201calways [her] first-choice\u201d school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve loved every minute of being at TCNJ,\u201d she said prior to Commencement, as she was busily applying for jobs in data analysis or theater management (the math and statistics graduate was also a four-year member of TCNJ Musical Theater). Asked about the impact the Harcourt Scholarship had on her life, Fagel said, \u201cWhen I think back to where I was five years ago, my life was a mess\u2026. I wasn\u2019t happy, I had no money, and no hope of going to college. And now I\u2019m a very happy person. I\u2019ve had a wonderful four years here.\u201d<\/p>\n

TCNJ\u2019s Harcourt recipients have access to a support system that helps them adjust to and cope with the rigors of college. For the past decade, Manetas has served as the primary adviser to the students; this past year, Sean Stallings<\/strong>, executive director of residential education and housing, began assisting her. Together they \u201cprovide holistic\u2014what I call developmental\u2014advising,\u201d Manetas explained. \u201cEverything is appropriate for us to talk about, whether it be academic strategies, problems at home requiring their attention, health issues, or financial challenges.\u201d The pair\u2019s guidance helps ensure each Harcourt recipient stays on track to graduate within four years, before their scholarship runs out. Jovanovich says putting a time limit on the scholarship helps. \u201cIn my experience, the discipline of four years gets everyone to focus,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that\u2019s part of the reason why we\u2019re so successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another reason for that success is the \u201csupportive approach\u201d Manetas has brought to her work with current Harcourt students and graduates, Jovanovich added. \u201cShe\u2019s the patron saint of this whole enterprise.\u201d Harcourt Scholar Sade Baker<\/strong> described her favorite adviser another way: \u201cMagda? She\u2019s amazing. She\u2019s my mentor. My idol. When you talk to her, you feel empowered\u2014like you can do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"baker\"<\/a>
“I would never have had [so many] opportunities if I hadn\u2019t come here, and Harcourt got me here. I\u2019m so thankful for that.”\u2014Sade Baker<\/figcaption><\/figure>Baker migrated to the U.S. from Jamaica in 2009 with her father, who wanted to be closer to his mother, who was suffering from Alzheimer\u2019s. When Sade\u2019s father couldn\u2019t find work due to the recession, he had to return to Jamaica\u2014leaving his daughter behind with a grandmother she barely knew in a country she wasn\u2019t accustomed to. \u201cThat was difficult,\u201d Baker admits now. \u201cI wanted to be back in my comfort zone\u2026. I wanted my life back.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot wanting to be in a place makes it difficult to excel, because you\u2019re constantly thinking about how much better it would be to be somewhere else,\u201d she continued. \u201cSo I had to overcome that, and I realized, if I\u2019m not going anywhere, I might as well make the best of it.\u201d She knew college would help in that endeavor, but also realized she couldn\u2019t afford it and wouldn\u2019t qualify for a loan since her father had no credit history. So she spent her weekends working and writing scholarship application essays. She figures she asked her high school teachers \u201cprobably about a billion times\u201d for help, but that persistence paid off when TCNJ\u2019s admissions office and the Harcourt Foundation took notice.<\/p>\n

Baker is scheduled to graduate with an accounting degree next spring, but has discovered her true calling lies in education and service. Her freshman Community Engaged Learning assignment required her to volunteer in a middle school in Trenton, and she liked it so much that she still tutors there. \u201cThrough my service, I\u2019ve learned that I love teaching. I love the classroom. I love the kids. I love the feeling of them knowing something new after I leave,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cI feel that if my purpose is not to help others, then why am I here?\u201d She plans to apply to Teach for America or pursue an MAT after she graduates. The accounting degree is her safety net, but it\u2019s already come in handy. Her father, who eventually did find work and now lives full time in the U.S., recently enrolled at DeVry. \u201cHe called me yesterday for help with his accounting homework,\u201d Baker said, laughing. \u201cIt was cute.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing at TCNJ made me realize there is so much at your fingertips,\u201d she continued. \u201cBeing able to work in the middle school, and go to New Orleans and Atlanta to do service with the Bonner program\u2014I would never have had these opportunities if I hadn\u2019t come here. And Harcourt got me here. I\u2019m so thankful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jovanovich, a retired publishing executive who does his foundation work pro bono<\/em>, said one of the most rewarding aspects of his role is meeting with each scholarship recipient and watching them grow into adulthood and graduate from college, despite facing such \u201ctremendous\u201d challenges. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing more heartwarming,\u201d he said. But those yearly meetings can sometimes remind him that, \u201cFor every Harcourt scholar at TCNJ, there are another 10 behind them\u2026who could also use our help but who we just don\u2019t have the money to support.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"grullon\"<\/a>
“I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be the person I am today without TCNJ, and I wouldn\u2019t have been at TCNJ without Harcourt.”\u2014Anthony Grullon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anthony Grullon \u201913<\/strong>, of Patterson, NJ, knows he is one of the lucky ones who \u201cmade it out.\u201d The first in his family to attend college, Grullon graduated in May with an engineering management degree. His plan four years ago was to one day get a job in the tech sector \u201cand probably make decent \u2018bank.\u2019\u201d But the exposure he got to community service at TCNJ changed his focus. \u201cI found my passion in hybrid nonprofits,\u201d he said, referring to organizations that leverage public-private partnerships to support the common good. As an undergrad, Grullon interned with the NJ Redevelopment Authority, an organization that revitalizes urban communities, and also cofounded a nonprofit that refurbishes and sells high-end clothing to support urban education (that venture has raised close to $15,000). Grullon said those experiences made him realize he wanted to \u201cmake a living and make a difference\u201d after graduating. His job at Product RED\u2014an organization that helps fight the spread of AIDS in Africa (and the \u201choly grail\u201d of hybrid nonprofits, says Grullon)\u2014allows him to do that.<\/p>\n

Yet, even with the international reach of the work he is doing, Grullon hasn\u2019t forgotten his roots. He is committed to showing the younger generation in his home community that they too can make it out if they persist. \u201cIf I don\u2019t, who will?\u201d he asked, before adding, \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d be the person I am today without TCNJ, and I wouldn\u2019t have been at TCNJ without Harcourt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe College is incredibly grateful for The Alfred Harcourt Foundation\u2019s continued support of our students,\u201d said John P. Donohue<\/strong>, vice president for college advancement. \u201cThe transformational nature of having a college degree in today\u2019s world cannot be overstated, and it is through the generosity of gifts such as The Ellen Knowles Harcourt Scholarship Fund that TCNJ can further its efforts in providing access to higher education to deserving students from our most underserved populations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"poruks\"<\/a>
“I want to do something great with my life.”\u2014Anna Poruks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And what of Anna Poruks, who knew she was destined to attend a \u201cgreat college\u201d and do \u201cgreat things\u201d if she could only find the means? She\u2019ll begin her junior year at TCNJ in the fall, thanks in large part to her Harcourt Scholarship. She has also reunited with her mother, who is now sober. \u201cShe slips up sometimes, but I can tell she\u2019s trying,\u201d said Poruks. \u201cI know it\u2019s something she\u2019s going to struggle with for the rest of her life.\u201d Poruks, a psychology major, plans to get a PhD in the field after graduating, and said she wants to specialize in addiction therapy. \u201cIt\u2019s what I know. I understand how addiction is something that loved ones go through and have no control over, and I want to be able to help people who have gone through similar situations to mine.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ellen Knowles Harcourt Scholarship Fund provides access to a TCNJ education for low-income students who have overcome great personal challenges. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-june-2013"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6893"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6893\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}