TOMS RIVER — The annual Scholarship Celebration sponsored by the Ocean County College Foundation was held in person on OCC’s Campus Mall on June 18.
More than 220 supporters joined to honor Dr. Henry A. Jackson, Dr. Teresa (Tracy) Walsh and the 200 Club of Ocean County, and raised more than $175,000 to benefit the mission of the OCC Foundation for scholarships and program support.
After last year’s virtual celebration, the 2021 outdoor (tented) evening affair was welcome and also celebrated a return to in-person events at the College.
“It is always wonderful to come together and celebrate our Foundation, this year’s distinguished honorees, and our sponsors and supporters; all in an effort to assist the students of Ocean County College,” says Foundation Executive Director, Kenneth Malagiere.
“The evening’s festivities were further elevated by the first public announcement of the most recent major gift to the Foundation from the Wintrode Family Foundation,” Malagiere added. “This most generous gift will establish the Roberta W. Wintrode Memorial Fund and is intended to be put to immediate use supporting merit-based scholarships and special program support throughout the College.”
More details on the impact of the Wintrode gift will be available this fall.
This year’s honorees were:
Dr. Henry A. Jackson Ed.D., executive director of Academic Success at OCC, is celebrated for his efforts to administer the College Readiness Now Program and the Early College Program, a partnership between all 16 Ocean County high schools, four Ocean County vocational schools and Donovan Catholic High School. This program offers 9th- through 12th-grade students the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school.
Teresa (Tracy) Walsh, Ph.D., MSN, RN, dean of Nursing and Health Sciences, is honored to serve as the Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences at the same institution where she began her nursing career. She believes OCC’s nursing faculty provided her with a strong educational foundation, support, mentorship and challenging experiences as she prepared to enter the nursing profession. She has been a dedicated leader at the College for many years, and last year, when the Governor’s Executive Order forced the campus to close, she quickly and efficiently formulated a plan to shift to a virtual setting to assist OCC’s nursing students.
The 200 Club of Ocean County is a private non-profit corporation founded in 1987. Its members are dedicated to providing financial assistance, comfort and support to the individuals and families of police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and other first responders who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty. They have contributed more than $250,000 in scholarships for these families.
Their motto is “We Remember,” supporting the goal of memorializing these individuals and their families who have been seriously injured or have made the ultimate sacrifice. For more information on the 200 Club of Ocean County, visit 200clubofocean.org.
More photos can be found on OCC’s social media:
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Members of the 200 Club of Ocean County
Teresa (Tracy) Walsh, Ph.D., MSN, RN, dean of Nursing and Health Sciences, and her husband, Thomas
Dr. Jon H. Larson, president of Ocean County College, and Dr. Henry A. Jackson Ed.D., executive director of Academic Success
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dlondres@ocean.edu
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