Five Princeton High Students to Receive Full College Scholarships from the Give Something Back Foundation

(l-r) Front: Elena Zephirin, Kimberly Rojas, Lucynda Amo Back: Zachary Miller, Adan Del Cid.
(l-r) Front row: Elena Zephirin, Kimberly Rojas, Lucynda Amo
Back row: Zachary Miller, Adan Del Cid.

Five ninth graders from Princeton High School have been awarded full scholarships to area colleges by the Give Something Back Foundation, a nonprofit founded by a Princeton businessman.

The Princeton High School ninth graders are part of the Give Something Back Foundation’s inaugural class in New Jersey. The students will be able to attend Rowan University, Montclair State University, The College of New Jersey, or Saint Peter’s University and graduate debt free.

Recipients were selected after an extensive screening process. The Princeton High recipients are: Lucynda Amo, Zachary Miller, Kimberly Rojas, Adan Del Cid and Elena Zephirin.

Students in the program must maintain a B average in high school, participate in a mentoring program, and attend workshops to continue in the program. As seniors, students must be accepted into partner colleges.

The Give Something Back Foundation was founded by Bob Carr of Heartland Payment Systems to provide mentors and scholarships to help students who are eligible for Pell grants attend college and graduate in four years with no loans. Carr is on a mission to send 1,000 students to college with $20 million of his own money.

Back in 1963, Carr received a $250 scholarship from the Lockport Woman’s Club in Illinois when he was accepted as a student at the University of Illinois, and he vowed someday he would “give back” when he was able. His foundation now partners with high schools and colleges in Illinois, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Scott Sipprelle, president of Westland Ventures, told Carr this fall that he would donate $100,000 to the foundation to send five Princeton High School students to college if Carr would match the amount and fund another five students.

Carr took Sipprelle up on his offer, and the pair pledged to send five Princeton High School students from the class of 2019 and five from the class of 2020 to college.

The organization is now searching for volunteer mentors for the Princeton High students. To learn volunteer, donate, or learn more about the program, visit the organization’s website.