Summit College Club Honors College Scholarship Recipients

Lile Hall in Christ Church, Summit, was filled on Sunday afternoon, June 5, 2022, when the Summit College Club Foundation awarded six accomplished high school senior women from Summit and surrounding towns financial scholarships to aid the pursuit of their college dreams. Recognition of these students through the awarding of college scholarships is an annual high point for the members of the Summit College Club, whose mission is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since its inception in 1920, Summit College Club has awarded roughly $1 million in scholarship money, helping hundreds of young women attend the college of their choice.

The young women honored with scholarships this year were, Olivia Lawlor from Summit High School, Helen Yiran Liu from Governor Livingston High School, Tiffany Lan from Milburn High School, Zaina Qureshi from Chatham High School, Christina (Crystal) Jong from Kent Place School, and Lara Cota from Summit High School. These young women were selected for their academic records and leadership qualities.

The awards ceremony opened with Summit College Club President Lynne Rogerson welcoming everyone and expressing her joy at being able to bring together all the recipients and their families with Summit College Club members to honor the scholarship winners in person this year, following two years of the pandemic.

Following President Rogerson, Vice President Leslie Carson spoke on behalf of scheduled speaker, and 2020 scholarship recipient, Sydney Villegas, who could not attend because she was quarantined. Through VP Carson, Sydney expressed her gratitude to the Summit College Club for sponsoring her participation in AAUW’s National Conference for College Women Student Leaders and explained how interesting the conference had been as well as how much she had learned from it. Then Anna Torell, a 2021 scholarship recipient, spoke about her first year at college. Anna, who is a world-class synchronized skater and an impressive artist in ceramics, spoke of the rich array of clubs, classes, and activities that she participated in at the University of Michigan.

After these speeches, each of the six 2022 scholarship recipients was honored by receiving a certificate, a rose, and, most importantly, a check in the amount of the scholarship for their college education.

• Olivia Lawlor was awarded Summit College Club’s oldest honor, the Tilla Thomas Merit Scholarship, which is given to a woman student who has achieved academic excellence and demonstrated leadership potential at Summit High School (where Tilla Thomas taught years ago). At the school, Olivia was captain of the basketball team and an award-winning soccer goalie. She organized local blood drives and logged 450 hours of work with the Summit First Aid Squad. Olivia plans to major in pre-med at Dartmouth College and plans to have a career in neuroscience.
• Helen Yiran Liu won the Mary K. Tennant Scholarship, which is given to a woman student who has achieved academic excellence and demonstrated leadership potential. At Governor Livingston High School, Helen was a founder and co-president of the Understanding Asia Club and a member of the Diversity Committee. She tutored in English and Math as well as started a summer reading program for children with novels by Asian authors. She is a skilled rock climber. Helen, who spent a summer working with a geneticist at Case Western, will attend the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and hopes to do graduate work in biology or medicine.
• Tiffany Lan was awarded the Kathi C. Madison MD Scholarship, which is given to a woman student who plans to pursue a career in science. At Millburn High School, Tiffany was a leader, taking the Science Olympiad Club to the statewide competition. She participated in the prestigious Columbia University Science Honors Program; she was active in the LifeStraw Give Back Campaign in Kenya. A Chinese classical dancer at the competitive level, a bird-watcher, and an illustrator and managing editor of her school’s literary magazine, Tiffany’s interests range widely; she plans to major in biology at Haverford College and to pursue a career in medicine.
• Zaina Qureshi won one of the three Summit College Club Merit Scholarships, which given to are women students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated leadership potential. At Chatham High School, Zaina, who has lived all over the world, is an ambassador to the League of Women Voters and founded the Refugee Rescue Club, which works with an international rescue committee. A member of both the varsity fencing and tennis teams, Zaina will attend Lehigh University in the fall.
• Christina (Crystal) Jong also garnered one of the Summit College Club Merit Scholarships. At Kent Place School in Summit, Crystal tutored classmates and was captain of the fencing team and vice-president of the judiciary. At church, she mentored children with special needs. Crystal plans to study engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
• Lara Cota was awarded the final Summit College Club Merit Scholarship. At Summit High School, Lara was captain of the women’s cross-country team, played the lead clarinet in the marching band, and wrote for the school newspaper. An activist for both gender equity and cultural awareness, Lara speaks Spanish and Croatian in addition to English. Lara will attend the University of Pennsylvania, where she will study law, journalism, and psychology in anticipation of a career in humanitarian and civil rights.

At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, there was a catered reception during which Summit College Club members and guests were able to meet and mingle with the scholarship recipients and their families.

For more information about the Summit College Club, please visit summitcollegeclub.org.