Essex County Girl Scouts Earn Scholarships For Their ‘Commitment To Community’

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey recently awarded more than $18,000 in scholarships to 10 exceptional local Girl Scouts, including several Essex County residents.

The William and Ida M. Kiefer Trust provides annual scholarships for “deserving students in Essex and Hudson counties wishing to further their post-high school education” – whether at a trade school, two-year college, or four-year university.

Awards were given to applicants who demonstrated the strongest combination of academic achievement, community service, Girl Scout involvement, extracurricular participation and financial need.

The 2025 award recipients include:

• Grace Stewart, Troop 20194, Roseland, University of Pittsburgh
• Tasiyah Stone-Bey, Troop 21246, East Orange, Rutgers University–Newark
• Luciana Musano, Troop 20194, Roseland, Seton Hall University
• Gabrielle White, Troop 20874, Maplewood, Spelman College
• Sofia Maatos, Troop 10648, Kearny, University of California - Los Angeles
• Vanessa Costa, Troop 12771, Kearny – Fairleigh Dickinson University
• Isabella Fernandes-Santinho, Troop 10648, Kearny, Smith College
• Alanya Friedman, Troop 20514, Maplewood, Virginia Tech
• Alexandra Hulsman, Troop 12052, Bayonne, TCNJ
• Ava Lawdanski, Troop 10648, Kearny, Seton Hall University

In addition to receiving a Kiefer Trust Scholarship, Alanya Friedman of Troop 20514 in Maplewood was also selected to receive a $5,000 national scholarship from Girl Scouts of the USA – an honor awarded to just one Girl Scout in each of the 111 regional councils across the country and USA Girl Scouts Overseas.

For her Gold Award project, Friedman established the Maplewood Shade Tree Subcommittee within her town’s Environmental Advisory Committee to promote tree preservation and environmental education as part of their overall environmental goals.

“These young women are a shining example of the impact Girl Scouting has on a girl’s drive to succeed—not just in school, but in life,” said Everlyn Tillery-Hay, a member of GSHNJ’s Kiefer Scholarship Review Committee.

“Each of them has demonstrated remarkable initiative, resilience and commitment to their community,” Tillery-Hay said. “It was a true honor to read their stories.”

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