Bergen County, NJ: — The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County announces the recipients of its fifth annual High School Young Women’s Leadership Awards Program. The recipients were announced and presented with their honors at the 2022 Young Women’s Leadership Award Ceremony on Thursday, June 2 at the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House in Tenafly, New Jersey.
The 2022 award recipients demonstrated leadership, compassion, innovation and the courage of their convictions in the community. Sreeja Satish and Andrea Olavarrieta, both seniors at Academies @ Englewood of Dwight Morrow High School, were presented the Young Women’s Senior Leadership Awards and $5,000 each. In the fall, Satish will attend Drexel University and Olavarrieta plans to go to Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey. The Young Women’s Senior Leadership Awards runners up — Christine Salazar, a student at Academies @ Englewood of Dwight Morrow High School, and Gabrielle Beck, a senior at Tenafly High School — were each recognized with a $1,000 award. Salazar plans to attend New York University and Beck will head to Vanderbilt University.
Four juniors were recognized for their leadership, with each receiving a $500 award and the opportunity to participate in an internship with a nonprofit agency. The 2022 Young Women’s Leadership Junior Award recipients are: Esther Lee from Cresskill High School, Samma Faragalla from Academies @ Englewood of Dwight Morrow High School, Allison Ore from Bergen County Academies, and Gia Shin from Tenafly High School.
“This year, The Community Chest received an outstanding range of applications for these leadership awards. Each applicant demonstrated exceptional talents and a commitment to social justice causes. The need exists for good leaders and especially now, young women with strong leadership abilities and a commitment to social consciousness are critical in our communities, said Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, Executive Director, The Community Chest.
“We are very grateful to Stacy Levins Esser and SEG Realty – Stacy Esser Group for their generous donation that allowed us to expand the leadership program by increasing the number of annual awards and recipients.”
Leadership Awards
The awards program celebrates the leadership the three “Elizabeths” from Bergen County demonstrated throughout their lives. Elizabeth Cutter Morrow of Englewood became the founding board chair and president of The Community Chest during the Great Depression. Elisabeth Morrow Morgan, the founder of the Elisabeth Morrow School, grew up in Englewood. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a Tenafly resident for several years, became an internationally recognized leader in the suffragette movement.
About The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County
Founded in 1933, The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, has supported local not-for-profit agencies for nearly 90 years. The Chest leads initiatives and supports nonprofits that make our communities stronger and benefit people in need in eastern Bergen County. Each year, The Chest raises funds and allocates them to agencies demonstrating the capacity to provide services to local citizens. The organization also provides coordinating and planning services in its communities, serving as a bridge between agencies and organizations and investing in the stability and quality of the service network.
The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County’s Board of Managers is comprised of community leaders dedicated to improving the lives of neighbors in need. People interested in being considered for board membership may contact executive director Shelly Wimpfheimer at (201) 568-7474.
For further information about The Chest, visit www.thecommunitychestebc.org/ or contact (201) 568-7474. Stay updated about the organization’s activities on Facebook and Twitter.
