Photo Caption (photo attached): Union County Vo-Tech students from thirteen different municipalities have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program for academic excellence this fall. The students attend Vo-Tech’s Academy for Information Technology (pictured here), Magnet High School, and Academy for Allied Health Sciences.
Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that 26 Union County Vo-Tech students have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program. The students are enrolled in Vo-Tech’s Magnet High School, the Academy for Information Technology, and the Academy for Allied Health Sciences. All three schools are relatively new but have already gained national recognition for academic excellence.
“On behalf of the Freeholder Board, I would like to commend these young people on their hard work, determination and dedication to excellence,” said Freeholder Chairman Deborah Scanlon. “Through their efforts, the Vo-Tech school district has once again proven itself to be an invaluable public education resource for Union County residents.”
This year, Magnet High School and The Academy for Information Technology were named in a recent “Best High Schools for Math and Science” national survey from US News & World Report. Only three other county based vo-tech schools in New Jersey made the list.
Earlier this year, the same two schools joined the Academy for Allied Health Sciences for inclusion in Newsweek’s list of top 500 public high schools in the nation.
“Our Vo-Tech program includes rigorous academic preparation, to help give the young residents of Union County a running start on the challenging career paths of the 21st century,” said Vo-Tech Schools Superintendent Dr. Thomas Bistocchi. “The entire Vo-Tech community is very proud of our National Merit Scholarship Program honorees.”
The Union County Vo-Tech Schools campus is located on Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. It includes five distinct high schools.
The newest school on the campus, the Academy for Performing Arts, prepares students for careers in the metro region’s important entertainment industry. Vo-Tech High School rounds out the district with programs that help students advance their skills in traditional occupations as well as emerging fields such as electric vehicles.
National Merit finalists have not yet been announced. The Union County Vo-Tech Schools honorees are:
National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists:
Austin Galiardo (Clark) – Magnet High School
Adam Jlelaty (Mountainside) – Magnet High School
Charles Lee (Berkeley Heights) – Magnet High School
National Merit Commended Scholars:
Rebecca Cargan (Springfield) – Magnet High School
Adam Greene (Mountainside) – Magnet High School
Stephanie Jordan (Union) – Academy for Information Technology
Jonathan Mahoney (Fanwood) – Magnet High School
Anthony Markowitz (Elizabeth) – Academy for Information Technology
Madhumita Parmar (Scotch Plains) – Academy for Allied Health Sciences
Stacy Rappaport (Union) – Magnet High School
Seth Schlisserman (Scotch Plains) – Magnet High School
Alexander Sebastio (Hillside) – Magnet High School
Radhika Srivastava (Springfield) – Magnet High School
Knyckholas Sutherland (Berkeley Heights) – Magnet High School
Peng Yang (Berkeley Heights) – Magnet High School
National Achievement Scholarship:
Knyckholas Sutherland (Berkeley Heights) – Magnet High School
National Achievement Semifinalists:
Kamil-Amani Bynoe (Union) – Academy for Information Technology
Stephanie Jordan (Union) – Academy for Information Technology
National Achievement Outstanding Participant:
Nia Colon (Union) – Academy for Allied Health Sciences
Monique Gordon (Elizabeth) – Academy for Allied Health Sciences
Shalyn Brangman (Union) – Academy for Information Technology
National Hispanic Recognition Program:
Andres Alvarez (Union) – Magnet High School
Lucas Cruz (Westfield) – Magnet High School
Victoria Pereira (Union) – Academy for Allied Health Sciences
Ariel Vega (Union) – Academy for Allied Health Sciences
James Wong (Linden) – Academy for Allied Health Sciences
National Hispanic Recognition Program Honorable Mention:
Tylor Meek ( Roselle Park) – Academy for Allied Health Sciences
More information about Union County Vo-Tech Schools is available at
www.ucvts.tec.nj.us/ucvts or visit the Union County website, www.ucnj.org.
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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.