HILLSDALE, N.J.—Bergen County Clerk John S. Hogan’s foundation has recognized Hillsdale’s Julia Scozzafava, an 11th grade high honor roll student at Pascack Valley High School and a Girl Scout in Troop 318, as a Five Star Student.
Hogan announced his award program in January 2019, saying he would honor one student from kindergarten through college every three months. Awards are distributed in March, June, September, and December.
“Our goal is to reward students who continually strive to learn and better themselves within their communities in some unique fashion,” Hogan told Pascack Press at the time.
He said, “We are interested in student volunteers who dedicate their time to helping others as well as student entrepreneurs who have developed a creative business model or product.”
Also to be recognized, he said, are students who have overcome some form of adversity and have found a meaningful way to give back to their community.
Scozzafava, 16, the foundation’s fourth-quarter recipient, aspires to be a veterinarian so that she can continue to change the lives of animals in need, Hogan said.
“Julia has devotion and passion for helping less fortunate animals, and because of that she has found ways to educate people within her community and raise money for shelter animals,” Hogan said.
At his office and with her family on hand, he presented her with a certificate of recognition and a check for $500 from the John S. Hogan Foundation.
“All of your efforts have demonstrated your commitment to this cause. Your acts of kindness and generosity make you a prime candidate for the Five Star Student Award. Good luck and keep up the wonderful work,” Hogan told Scozzafava.
For her part, Scozzafava told Pascack Press, “I was so excited and surprised to receive this great honor from John Hogan’s Bergen County Clerk Office. Mr. Hogan was so enthusiastic and supportive of all of my accomplishments toward animals, which made me feel very proud.”
She added, “I feel so fortunate to be included among a wonderful group of young women and men to receive this award.”
She said she will put the money toward her work for animals.
Scozzafava describes her community service projects as her “greatest achievements” and “wonderful, rewarding experiences.”
For her Girl Scout Bronze Award, the troop held a pet supply drive, with donations given to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge Inc. in Oakland.
For her Silver Award, she made 30 pet beds for three animal shelters “so the dogs or cats could feel comfortable at the shelter while waiting for their new home.”
Her Gold Award focused on promoting the issue of overpopulation in animal shelters. At the annual Hillsdale Festival at Beechwood Park, in partnership with Westwood-based Peace 4 Paws, she hosted a dog show and adoption event, spoke on the issue, and distributed pamphlets she made to raise awareness. Several dogs were adopted thanks to the event, Hogan said.
Scozzafava also has been volunteering with with Save the Animals Rescue Team (START II).
Up next for Scozzafava: “I’m going to shadow an [Oradell] veterinarian starting this spring and continue my senior year of high school to gain valuable knowledge of how to help animals,” she said.
Ultimately, she plans to become a veterinarian, “so I can foster my lifelong passion of helping animals.”
Hogan’s foundation’s third quarter recipient was Jacqueline Garcia from Roy W. Brown Middle School in Bergenfield. She raised $750 in lemonade sales to restore an African village’s drinking well “so that the young girls of the village could attend school instead of fetching water for their community.”
Second quarter recipient was Franklin Praschil from Emerson High School, recognized for an ambitious memory garden he created as an Eagle Scout project. He raised $27,000 for the work and enjoyed great help from the Emerson Police Department.
(See Franklin Praschil’s Project Connects, July 22, 2019.)
The inaugural recipient was Brendan Vann from Fair Lawn High School, who launched Cleatz 4 Kidz, a program benefiting underprivileged children.