Parents and prospective college students should read about this journey of a young lady who navigated her way into the labyrinth world of college financial aid, and succeeded in qualifying for monies to pay her tuition costs in a highly competitive field, nationally speaking. Consider this story a short primer on the subject, for all academic/vocational-technical students who want and plan to attend college.
Vanessa A. Treus was born in Hoboken, but raised in the township of North Bergen, and was a graduate of High Tech High School in North Bergen in 2005. Her father Jose is from Galicia, Spain, and her mother Maria is from Brooklyn, New York and is of Cuban descent. Ms. Treus has a sister Arielle, also from North Bergen, who is presently attending Caldwell College in Morris County, New Jersey.
After graduating from high school, Ms. Treus attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York as a psychology major and English minor but realized that family financial support could not fully pay for her college tuition, thus she had to transfer to Caldwell College, closer to home, and find other avenues of tuition funding to meet her college career demands ahead of her, and she did.
Ms. Treus became proactive before entering Caldwell College, and after meeting with financial aide advisors, she also surfed the Internet, and researched other schools regarding their Financial Office Aid program offerings as well as scholarships and grants that were also being offered prospective students. Ms. Treus came to realize that scholarships and grants do not have to be repaid if you qualify for them, and then you have to apply for them to find-out your true eligibility. Thus, a prospective college student should then apply to the best college of their choice under these prevailing conditions, with the best financial aid offerings, get accepted, and then apply for their financial aid opportunities.
Ms. Treus tells us that because of her proactive research, she was able to be eligible for most of her college tuition costs that were available under their prevailing financial aid opportunities. She was also eligible for a Presidential Scholarship. The remainder of her college tuition is covered by regular financial aid grants, which do not have to be repaid. Furthermore, thus far there have not been any out-of-pocket expenditures and she feels very blessed, as not everyone is eligible, and a person has to apply, and get evaluated first, after your research is completed. Moreover, with all tuition costs being met, she intends to graduate college in May, 2011 with a Bachelor of Psychology Arts Degree. Afterwards, she plans to apply to Fairleigh Dickinson University/Rutherford, and Rutgers University/Newark, and complete the same proactive financial aid research for tuition costs, in hopes of qualifying, becoming eligible, and getting accepted under prevailing financial aid opportunities at these universities. Her goal is to achieve a combined Master’s/P.H.D. degree in psychology, so that she may also reach her vocational goal of becoming a professional psychologist in private practice within the regional community. However, presently she is marching toward the completion of her bachelor’s degree studies by also working on campus in the college’s Institutional Advancement Department as a Telethon Worker, raising monies for student scholarships, which is an hourly paid position, and also works as a “tutor,” of psychology for hourly fees, which also helps meet secondary tuition costs. Ms. Treus lives in a dormitory, five days a week, and some weekends.
Active in college campus life, Ms. Treus is the president of the Caldwell College Psychology Club, and is the secretary of the Circle “K” Club, which is an affiliate of the Kiwanis Club. Off-campus, she has a boyfriend, Cosmo Cirillo, who resides in West New York, and is presently the West New York Assistant Town Clerk, and yes, they have discussed marriage. Family life does mean a lot to her, Ms. Treus tells us, and she is very close to her mom. She is active in West New York municipal events with Mr. Cirillo, and she enjoys meeting people. She is also a member of the Women’s Club of West New York, whose standard bearer is West New York’s elected Commissioner Michelle Fernandez-Lopez.
Thus, what else can be said about such an amazing enterprising intelligent lovely young lady? To Vanessa Treus –All the best!
Readers, very recently Union City Deputy Mayor Nicholas Mastorelli was the recipient of a surprise birthday party hosted by his lovely wife Janice, and we hear that there were firecrackers and balloons to celebrate the event. Wishing Nick Mastorelli a very Happy Birthday, this Columnist wants to say this: Mr. Mastorelli is as old as gourmet espresso coffee, and as young as its cousin delightful cappuccino coffee. He’s as magical as Saint Nicholas at Christmas time, with the youthfulness of a Christmas elf. A great guy, who is forever young! Nicky, many more Happy Birthday’s to You!
The United Park Methodist Church of Weehawken is celebrating 109 years serving its township community. The Reverend L.W. Guilfoyle, Jr. is its Senior Pastor. Their telephone number is (201) 867-9161. All interested parties wanting to make contact should visit them on their web-site www.parkumcweehawken.com, or visit them at 51 Clifton Terrace in the township. Best wishes!
Former Guttenberg Mayor Anthony Raffaele and his lovely wife Rose, tell us that they are getting set for the holidays and wish everyone well. Former Mayor Raffaele said that aside from past back problems, he is still pushing along on a daily schedule. Happy holidays to the Raffaele Family!
COMMENTARY: The recent elections are over, and the dust has settled, and there have been surprising outcomes which may very well have various shades of things to come in the future around the whole county. The beachhead of reform in Hoboken saw Mayor Dawn Zimmer take a “hit” and erode with the elective loss of Michael Lenz, her political brainiac, at the hands of an independent Tim Occhipinti. Back to the drawing boards, Mayor Zimmer!
Meanwhile in Secaucus, for the first time since the three decade legendary Independent days of former Mayor Paul Amico ending in the early 1990’s, an entire mayor and Town Council are now all Independents. Mayor Michael Gonnelli, proved his political prowess, and many happy elective returns to Councilwoman Susan Pirro! As for South Hudson County, Jersey City remains the same, except for Bayonne, with Hudson County Democratic Chairman who is also Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith; he has cemented his political prowess by helping Sheriff-Elect Frank Schillari of Secaucus defeat the out-going sheriff who is a Bayonne resident. Furthermore, Mayor Smith helped elect Bayonne resident Jason O’Donnell a state Assemblyman. As for Bayonne, there seems to be a “Carrollian” method of politics going on here. This method of politics began decades ago, by the last of the great Irish-Catholic Hudson County politicians, who believes in “networking-politics,” and it is showing-up in many places to good effect. This method was created by Neal Carroll, a West New York mayoral aide to Mayor Silverio “Sal” Vega, and who is also the “father-in-law” of Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith!
Thus, there is a beating of drums coming from South Hudson, and the drum beats are getting louder.
The clouds are clearing, and the drum beats are coming from the south to north, and all from a different drummer; yes, it is the “March of The SMITHSONIANS,” with Mayor Mark Smith of Bayonne at the helm, beating the drum! You Read It Here!
And so it goes… Until next time… See you around town… MATT.
Readers who would like to contribute to this column can do so by mailing your news items and photographs, along with your name, address, and telephone number to: “Matthew Amato,” Columnist, c/o The Hudson Reporter, 1400 Washington Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030.
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