Montville Scholarship Recipient Has Energy for Education

Education is a priority for Allison Para.

The 46-year-old Montville resident has several years of work experience in the field of sustainable building design and has five Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications, on top of being a single mom. Her most recent endeavor, though, is her pursuit of a business management degree from the College of Saint Elizabeth.

Para recently received the Junior League of Morristown's 2012 "Women Moving Forward" scholarship. Three women are chosen each year as recipients, she said.

"The scholarship is awarded to a woman who is attending college after taking time away from school," according to a press release from the league. The league also noted a "commitment to improving oneself through education" as a primary trait of recipients.

Para has served as a chairwoman for Emerging Green Builders, NJ on the U.S. Green Building Council's New Jersey chapter. She is currently in school and planning to obtain her degree in December, at which time she plans to continue to work in sustainable development. She has a degree from Parsons the New School for Design and has studied at the University of Colorado.

Para was not surprised to have earned the scholarship because she knows how hard she has worked to get to where she is.

"It was my forward way of thinking that I believe helped me achieve the scholarship," she said.

Para, a lifelong Montville resident, is also involved in her community.

When she learned of , she immediately began thinking of ways the project could be altered to better benefit her neighbors. Para in April to be presented to PSE&G, asking the company to bury the power lines underground. Para said she has continued to research the health effects of the overhead power lines and presented data to township officials that is under review.

Para is involved with her church community as well, teaching fifth graders Sunday school at the Jacksonville Chapel.