‘Life Altering’ Scholarship Awarded To Four Freehold Students

The first $340,000 Tomazic Family Scholarship, honoring the past superintendent, will help defray the students’ high school, college costs.

By: Pat McDaniel, Patch Staff
Posted Wed, Jun 22, 2022 at 11:47 am ET | Updated Wed, Jun 22, 2022 at 12:07 pm ET

FREEHOLD, N.J.— A Maine-based foundation with a special connection to a former school superintendent here “wanted to do something special” to help borough students. And something special it certainly is.

Four current students and recent graduates of the Freehold Borough School District have been awarded the inaugural Tomazic Family Scholarship, which will provide a total of $340,000 for their high school and post-secondary education.

The award is named to honor retired schools Superintendent Dr. Rocco Tomazic, whose connections with the Foreside Foundation of Maine helped obtain this level of financial backing for the students.

Partners in the Tomazic Family Scholarship program include the Foreside Foundation, members of the immediate Tomazic family, the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation, the Freehold Borough School District, and the Freehold Regional High School District, according to Jean Holtz, chairperson of the Educational Foundation.

She said the Tomazic Family Scholarship is funded at $1.2 million over 10 years by the Foreside Foundation, and Foreside oversees all its finances. The funding came about from a connection with Tomazic and a good working relationship with the school district, now headed by Superintendent Joe Howe.

But more on that story later. First, here are the students who won the inaugural scholarships:

Ka’mora Gill and Juan P. Martinez Zarate, both graduating seniors at Freehold High School, will receive up to $80,000 over four years to support their enrollment at a college or post-secondary vocational program.

Mercy Ortega Garcia and Jovany Jimenez Guillen, both graduating eighth-graders at Freehold Intermediate School, will receive up to $2,500 per year to support their academic growth in high school, in addition to receiving up to $80,000 for their post-secondary education.

According to a news release from Holtz, the Tomazic Family Scholarship was established in 2022 to build on the work of Tomazic as superintendent. Among other initiatives, he secured state funding for expansions of the borough’s three schools, including a dedicated library that used to house classrooms, Tomazic said. He retired in 2021.

The Foreside Foundation, registered in Maine, became involved from a personal connection with Tomazic.

In an interview, Tomazic said he met Richard Berthy of the foundation in 1980 while serving in the Navy in Japan. The two remained friends and over the years the foundation has provided funding for other student needs.

But the Tomazic Family Scholarship brings the financial support to a new level.

Tomazic, who lives in Freehold Township, said the private Freehold Borough Educational Foundation “has been a blessing” to him to help the students in the borough in many ways.

While superintendent, as he worked to secure two-thirds state funding for the building program, he also worked to improve funding for operating expenses.

“Freehold was one of the most underfunded districts, so I worked on that simultaneously,” he said.

Holtz said the Berthys would visit their friends the Tomazics and became acquainted with the Freehold school district and its needs.

Then, Holtz said, the Berthys “called and said they wanted to do something special to honor Rocco.” So, working with Howe and Tomazic and the Educational Foundation, the Tomazic Family Scholarship came into being, Holtz said.

“I am very appreciative to Richard and Linda Berthy of the Foreside Foundation for funding this meaningful scholarship opportunity for our students,” said Tomazic, who was superintendent from April of 2013 to September of 2021.

“Students exhibiting high potential for success, but whose families are of limited financial means, frequently do not have access to the resources needed to sustain themselves through four years of college or a post-secondary vocational program,” Tomazic said in the news release.

For 2022-2023, the Tomazic Family Scholarship was awarded to a male and female student in both the the eighth grade and 12th grade who attend or attended school in the Freehold Borough
School District.

In the scholarship application, students were asked to outline financial need,
articulate their academic goals and express why they should be selected from among other similarly qualified candidates. They also submitted their academic transcripts.

One essay stood out to Holtz and the others, and Ka’mora Gill’s writing is quoted here:

“Because no one in my family has ever gone to college, it never felt necessary. I used to be a prisoner of this mentality as well, but one day I realized I could be more; I could inspire my family and do things that were outside of ‘normal,'” said Ka’mora Gill in her application. “I want my family to recognize that change is possible and struggle should never be normalized.”

“The Educational Foundation is honored to partner with the Tomazic Family and the Foreside Foundation in providing what can only be described as life-altering financial assistance for these academically talented young people,” said Holtz, chairperson, in the news release. “We wish them all the best and stand ready to support them through their on-going studies.”

Financial support through the Tomazic Family Scholarship will be applied primarily to post-secondary tuition, room and board. While awardees are in high school, financial support can be applied to incidental expenses related to their high school education.

“We are excited to support students from the start of their high school careers,” shared Maryanne
Tomazic, a member of the selection committee. “The financial cost of tutoring or SAT preparation
classes, for example, can put these resources out of reach for many. We hope this scholarship
program can bridge that gap and support the students’ ambitions.”

The Tomazic Family Scholarship accepts applications by May 1 of each year and announces the awardees prior to the end of the school year. Twenty-eight students applied for the four scholarships awarded this year. If for any reasons a student is unable to maintain qualification for the scholarship, the pro-rated scholarship will be transferred to the next qualified candidate from the original application pool.

“We are excited for the initial cohort of students to be supported in their academic journeys. Our
only regret is that we could not do more for the many other very deserving applicants,” said Rocco Tomazic.