NJ Hall of Fame Arete Scholarship and Essay Contest is now open for submissions.
New Jersey Hall of Fame
The New Jersey Hall of Fame, in partnership with Hackensack Meridian Health and the NJ Education Association, has announced the renewal of both The Arête Scholarship and annual Essay Contest.
Inspired by Plato’s term “Arête,” which refers to “the realization of one’s highest self,” the $5,000 scholarship is granted to help one male and one female student who exhibit academic engagement, strong character, and a commitment to their community, realize their own path to greatness. Application deadline is May 1.
Arête is a concept that Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle referred to more than 3,000 years ago that refers to the act of actualizing one’s highest sense of self with a moral excellence of character. The term Arête essentially means that the individual should strive to pursue their passions in life and realize their dreams regardless of their circumstances or the adversities that they are likely to face on the path to greatness.
The successful applicants will embody the meaning of Arête and will distinguish themselves as New Jerseyans who are on their way to realizing their dreams. The NJHOF Arête Scholarship Award will be one of the highest honors that the NJHOF and the State of New Jersey can bestow upon a student, and each student will be recognized at the NJHOF’s annual induction ceremony.
The recipients of the Arête scholarship are young people who demonstrate that sense of Jersey pride and that willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. The successful applicants must demonstrate qualities such as academic engagement, moral character, and a commitment to their community. These recipients do not necessarily have to be at the very top of their school class from an academic standpoint, but should demonstrate a focus in school and life, and have a well thought out plan on how they intend to realize their highest sense of self.
Applications are available at https://njhalloffame.org/arete-application/
Additionally, New Jersey public school students are invited to participate in the NJHOF Essay Contest. Students are asked to nominate potential inductees – living or dead – to the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Nominations can include famous people as well as ordinary citizens who do extraordinary things. Students should research or interview, if possible, the person they wish to nominate and write an essay no longer than 500 words.
Essays must be typed and double-spaced. The student must include his/her name, age, grade level as of April 1, address, phone number, parent/guardian’s name, school name and school district. If the essay is a school project, the student should also include the name of the teacher who assigned the activity. Nominations must be postmarked by April 1, to be eligible. Send entries to NJ Hall of Fame Contest, Dawn Hiltner, 1411 S. 5th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147, or email dhiltner@njea.org with NJHOF Essay Contest in the subject line.
Entries will be divided into two age categories: intermediate (grades 4-8) and high school (9-12). Entries will be judged by a panel comprised of NJEA and Hall of Fame representatives. Winners will be notified by June 1. The winning students will be invited to participate in the annual New Jersey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony scheduled for October 2021, which will be televised on My9NJ.
The winning students’ nominations will be forwarded to the New Jersey Hall of Fame Academy for consideration in 2022. The academy, comprised of 100 of New Jersey’s most prominent organizations, ethnic groups and media outlets, will review nominees and ultimately select Hall of Fame nominees to be put forth for the public vote in the fall. NJEA serves on the Voting Academy.
For more information see https://njhalloffame.org/category/blog/.
