Local Scholarships and Awards

Local Scholarships and Awards

  

Every year West Deptford High School gives out approximately 100 local scholarships and awards at the Graduation Ceremony and/or Senior Scholarship and Awards Night. Most of the scholarships are decided by the high school's scholarship committee; however, some of the scholarships are decided by the organization(s) providing the scholarship.

Please check the qualifications for the scholarship and the due date. Some may need to be mailed by the due date, so please pay close attention to all details of the scholarships listed. Students can submit the completed applications to Ms. Clark in the Main Office.  Late applications will NOT be accepted for any reason.  Most scholarships will be given out at our Annual Senior Scholarship and Awards Night in June.

* Please check this page for continual updates*
 

Kelly Mazzocca Scholarship Fund Award - $1000,  due March 29th One female scholar athlete will receive a $1000 scholarship.  The applicant must be a graduating senior at WDHS, have been a member (player or manager) of the Girls Soccer Team for all 4 years, have shown leadership characteristics on and off the field, involved in community service, and must be attending college or post-secondary school.
West Deptford Youth Lacrosse Scholarship - $500, due March 30th The West Deptford Lacrosse Club will award a one-time scholarship totaling up to $500 to both a graduating senior female and male athlete who plan to attend an accredited four year college or university full-time (12 credits or more for the fall semester) in 2024. This scholarship is intended to award athletes for their participation in high school lacrosse and their support of the West Deptford Youth Lacrosse Club as well as their community.
Eagle Leadership Award –$1000, due April 12th 

The Cianfarini Family will provide a $1000 scholarship to a deserving student whose essay best demonstrates how he/she has performed as a leader.

The ability to lead, when fully developed, is the ability to motivate others to participate in the accomplishment of big things. Society depends on you and your generation, to make the world better. Without leaders willing to make life better, the world decays and people are hurt. Many will tell you, “You Can’t”, “It’s too difficult”, “Nobody will buy into that”, “That idea is stupid”, etc... But consider this quote from Henry Ford, “Weather you think you can, or you think you can’t - you are right”.


The Eagle Leadership Scholarship will be awarded to the student whose essay best demonstrates how he/she has performed as a leader. Apply for this scholarship, no matter how small you feel your leadership roles have been in the past. As you will see from the following criteria it does not matter if you ever held an official title or made any huge goal happen. We would like you to explain how you functioned in your role as a leader. The process, what you learned, and how you intend to use those skills in the future is what is important. To help you focus your effort, following are the details we would like you to include.


1.) Explain how a person you have looked up to has influenced your own ideas and ideals that you now value in a leader. Think of someone who influenced you to do more or be more than you otherwise would be without their influence.
2.) Explain how you positioned yourself to lead an individual or a group to accomplish a goal. Official titles don’t matter here. You can be a leader without ever being given an official title. What did you do to entice another person or group to want to follow your lead?
3.) Explain how you implemented the following in your role as leader: • Establishing a culture of integrity, passion, humility, acceptance, and empowerment. • Developing goals and perspective then distributing responsibility. • Positioning yourself as a servant, teaching and influencing individuals to think bigger and strive to accomplish more by working together. • Maintaining authority, optimism, dealing with setbacks, and adjusting how you lead. • Publicly and privately championing individuals and their accomplishments.
4.) The world can be made better or worse by the actions of a single person. You were born with unique gifts to make a difference in this world. Explain how you will maximize the investments this community has made in your education to better the world in the years to come.


PTO Scholarship - $500, due April 15th The West Deptford High School PTO will provide two $500 scholarships to students who are continuing their education, who have displayed good citizenship and who have demonstrated service in and around the school. In order to be eligible for this award, students' parents/guardians must be paid members of the PTO no later than April 15, 2024. The membership dues form is attached. 


3 Dimensional Physical Therapy Scholarship- $500, due April 15th This $500 scholarship is given by Three Dimensional Physical Therapy to a graduating senior planning to pursue Physical Therapy in college and/or who has participated in physical therapy as a patient at some point throughout their four years of high school. 

   

All interested seniors must answer one of the two questions on the attached flyer and submit by the deadline. 


South Jersey Baseball Old Timers Association - $1000, due April 16 This scholarship will be given to a graduating senior baseball or softball player at WDHS who will be attending a college or university in the fall and is in good standing academically. Interested students should write a short essay on why they chose the college they will attend and their career path.

West Deptford Education Association (WDEA) Scholarship– $1000, due April 17th The West Deptford Education Association will provide a $1000 scholarship to a deserving student who is planning a career in education and who has a weighted GPA of a 90% or better. Students interested in applying for this scholarship should submit a letter of interest explaining why he/she is choosing the field of education along with a list of any activities/clubs in which he/she is currently involved. 


After the WDEA panel of teachers reviews these letters of interest, each student candidate may be called upon for a short interview.
W.J. Golle Scholarship for the Trades - $500, due April 17th
This scholarship will be given to a graduating senior who has been accepted into a trade school or a college in which a trade like construction management is pursued. The applicant should hold a strong moral compass and promote selflessness, as WJ Golle Roofing is a faith-based organization that thrives on helping those in need. The applicant must write a paragraph to us describing what field they are interested in, why they want to pursue a career in this field, and what their future goals are.
Thomas J. Weiner Scholarship – $700, due April 18th The Thomas J. Weiner Scholarship in the amount of $700 will be awarded to a student who has a strong work ethic, always puts forth his/her best efforts, and displays good character.

All interested students should submit a resume in order to be considered.


Josh Richardson Memorial Scholarship- $500, due April 19th This scholarship is given in the name of Josh Richardson. Josh loved playing street hockey for West Deptford his entire life. He was very competitive but mostly just loved being a part of that league. The family wants to provide a WD graduating senior who has played with similar spirit for the WD Street Hockey League at some point during his/her life this $500 scholarship to help with his/her future endeavors. All are welcome to apply and share their experiences playing with WDSHL, whether they are going to college, getting vocational or technical training, joining the military, or entering the workforce.  


Any interested senior must complete the attached form by writing their full name and sharing a memory about their experience playing street hockey. The application must be completed and returned to the Main office by the due date, April 19th, in order to be considered. 
WD Basketball Club Award - $500, due April 22nd
This $500 scholarship is given by the West Deptford Basketball Club to a graduating senior female and male basketball player. All interested seniors must complete the attached application and return by the established due date in order to be considered.

WD Junior Women's Club Scholarship-$100, due April 23rd This $100 scholarship will be awarded to one senior who is committed to continuing his/her education, demonstrates leadership skills, has displayed good character, and is involved in school/community service projects. Any interested student should complete the attached application.

Amy Lessman Character Award - $1000, due April 24th The "Amy Lessman Character Award" is in memory of Amy Lessmann - mother, friend, mentor, role model, teacher, and inspiration to all who met her. Amy, a special education teacher in the West Deptford School District, courageously lost her battle with peritoneal cancer in 2014, but did not let this hardship define her. Through compassion and grit, she strengthened and inspired others and left a legacy of perseverance and kindness. The nominees for this scholarship should exhibit these character traits that Amy exemplified in her own life, while in the face of adversity.

 This $1000 award will be given to a graduating senior who is accepted into a 2 or 4-year program at a university/college or technical school with a focus on public services/human services. Please review the attached for specific examples of these areas of study and, if you are interested, submit an essay and one letter of reference as stipulated in the attached criteria.


Charles B. McNally Scholarship  - $2000, due April 25th  The Charles B. McNally Scholarship in the amount of $2000 will be awarded to a graduating senior who is continuing his/her education at a college/university, whose academic rank is in the top quarter of the class, and who has displayed community service, leadership, and good character.

All interested students should complete the attached application and return to the Main Office by the due date.

Key Club Scholarship - $300, due April 26th This $300 scholarship, given by the Kiwanis Club of Woodbury, will be awarded to the senior member in good standing of our WDHS Key Club. All interested students must complete the attached application in order to be considered. Chris Weber Memorial Scholarship in Soccer - $500, due April 29th This $500 scholarship is given by the West Deptford Soccer Club to a graduating senior female and male soccer player. All interested seniors must complete the attached application and return by the established due date in order to be considered. Debra Park Memorial Scholarship- $200, due April 30th Debra Park was a WDHS social studies teacher from 1977-2010 who taught history and sociology. However, it was as a teacher of psychology that Mrs. Park found her greatest passion for educating West Deptford students. Before retirement and until her passing in 2022, Mrs. Park was also an adjunct professor of psychology at Rutgers University and a very active member of the American Psychological Association.


Mrs. Park was involved in many other school related activities. She served as chairperson of the social studies department and developed the course and curriculum for the school’s AP Psychology course. She was also involved in service activities while advisor of the National Honor Society, such as bringing Operation Blessing to West Deptford. Through her years, she also served as advisor of numerous other groups, including class advisor and cheerleading coach. She received both the WDHS and WD district Teacher of the Year awards, as well as the American Psychological Association’s Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools Award.


In Mrs. Park’s memory, a $200 scholarship is offered to a graduating senior who plans to continue his/her education pursuant to a degree in education or psychology. The candidate should be of strong character, and possess a strong work ethic with a passion for his/her area of study.


All interested candidates should complete the attached application completely and return it to the Main Office by April 30th.
WD Women's Club Scholarship -$1000, due May 1st
This $1000 scholarship will be awarded to two senior students who are continuing his/her education by planning to attend a Vocational/Technical School, the US Military Academy, a 2-Year College, or a 4-Year College. All are encouraged to apply by completing the attached application and submitting an essay (2 page limit) sharing your most meaningful volunteer experience and the impact it had on you.


DocuVault Student Entrepreneur Scholarship - $1500, due May 2nd DocuVault Delaware Valley is pleased to offer two $1500 scholarships to students who demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for leadership, and excellence as exemplified through academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and/or a commitment to community service. Please share with us, in no more than 500 words, how your experiences throughout high school have met the aforementioned criteria. 
Essays may be submitted directly to Lissy Madden - [email protected]

GenVault Bio Repository Student Entrepreneur Scholarship - $1500, due May 2nd DocuVault Delaware Valley is pleased to offer two $1500 scholarships to students who demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for leadership, and excellence as exemplified through academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and/or a commitment to community service. Please share with us, in no more than 500 words, how your experiences throughout high school have met the aforementioned criteria. 
Essays may be submitted directly to Lissy Madden - [email protected]

Diana Demianenko Excellence in Athletics Award–$1000, due May 3rd  This $1000 scholarship is given by the Diana Demianenko Memorial Fund to a multi-sport female athlete who has excelled in athletics throughout her 4-year WDHS career. This athlete exemplifies the highest qualities of good character, sportsmanship, loyalty, integrity, and school spirit. 
All interested seniors must complete the attached application and 500 word essay by the due date. 
Marine Rose Scholastic Scholarship – $300, due May 6th This $300 scholarship will be awarded to a qualifying senior who fits the following criteria: must have a cumulative GPA of B/B+; must be pursuing a full time undergraduate or technical training; must be an active participant in high school extracurricular activities; and must be an active participant in a community service/activity program.

All interested seniors must complete the attached application and return by the established due date in order to be considered.

Lt. Kenny Dechen Scholarship –  $1000, due by May 15th This is to honor one graduating senior in loving memory of Lt. Kenneth B. Dechen of the West Deptford Police Department. Mr. Dechen was a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. He played a vital role in the lives of others. His ability to have fun and make others laugh allows us to keep his memory alive. Mr. Dechen also believed that the value of a good education was very important in fulfilling life’s dreams. We are looking for a candidate that will mimic his fun-loving personality, his devotion to his family and friends, but also his passion for education.
There is one scholarship to be awarded for the year. The amount of the scholarship will be $1,000.00 The following are other criteria for this scholarship: The candidate must have plans to attend a college of their choice for 4 year/ Bachelors Degree. They must be entering the fields of either Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement or the Healthcare/Medical Field. This candidate should also show the following characteristics: good moral character, good standing in the community, and no disciplinary problems within the school system or from the police department.
P
lease submit a 500 word essay “Why I want to study law enforcement or enter the healthcare field” or write a reflection paper “Why it would be an honor to be the recipient of a scholarship in memory of Lt. Kenneth B. Dechen”. We ask that you supply a written letter of recommendation from a West Deptford High School teacher along with your essay. 

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