PHS Alumni Association Awards Ken Tashian Memorial Scholarships

PARAMUS, N.J., July 3, 2024 –The Paramus High School Alumni Association (PHSAA) awarded scholarships to three seniors last month at the high school’s annual Senior Scholarship and Academic Awards Program. The awards of $1250 each went to Kimberly Diaz, Rebekah Hong and Ella Rohdieck.

The recipients were selected for demonstrating leadership and service to the high school and the wider Paramus community. Stan Cohen, association president, presented the awards to the deserving students, who also got custom embroidered baseball caps as a parting gift. They may use the scholarship money for any education-related costs, including tuition, textbooks or other fees associated with their studies in the 2024-2025 academic year.

“As always, the scholarship applicants were an impressive group of bright, engaged students,” said Cohen. “The Alumni Association thanks all the generous donors who support the scholarship fund so we can recognize PHS graduates who embody the spirit of Ken Tashian.”

Unlike other scholarships awarded for academic or athletic performance, the Ken Tashian Memorial Scholarship primarily recognizes students who are highly engaged in the Paramus High School and Paramus community, participating in clubs and nonprofit organizations, working to improve the lives of others, and often holding leadership positions in their extracurricular activities.

The 2024 scholarship recipients

• Kimberly Diaz will attend New York University to pursue her B.S. in business and political economy. She was a member of the National Honor Society, National Business Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society.
• Rebekah Hong will attend the honors college at Rutgers University, studying art and design at the Mason Gross School of the Arts. She was a National Honor Society, German Honor Society and National Art Honor Society member and served on the student government.
• Ella Rohdieck—who recently earned Eagle Scout rank in the Boy Scouts of America—was also a member of the National Honor Society and will pursue her bachelor’s in nursing at Saint Anselm College.

About the Ken Tashian Memorial Scholarship
The Ken Tashian Memorial Scholarship is the first scholarship created by the PHSAA. It is awarded to a Paramus High School senior who embodies its namesake’s Spartan spirit, through activities that benefit the school and/or wider community. Tashian was a gold medalist in the Bergen County Wrestling Tournament, organizer of many class reunions, and creator of the ParamusSpartans.net website through which thousands of alumni network, connect, memorialize classmates, find class pictures, get links to download yearbooks and explore PHS and Paramus history and memorabilia. Tashian created, managed and funded the website on his own for decades.

About the PHSAA
The PHS Alumni Association is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Its mission is to preserve and promote fellowship among present and future alumni, and to support and strengthen the school’s educational mission for the benefit of its current students. The association maintains a comprehensive alumni database and maintains an online presence for alumni and faculty via the website, ParamusSpartans.net, the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ParamusHighSchool) and group (www.facebook.com/groups/ParamusSpartans). It recognizes significant contributions of alumni to the community, helps promote class reunions, and provides undergraduate scholarships.