ACT students (standing back row), Mike Girone, RCSJ Foundation Chair, President Fred Keating, Brian W. Jones, and Joanne Katzen-Jones (seated front row l. to r.) celebrate the creation of the William H. Jones and Julian S. Katzen Endowment. RCSJ’s newest endowment will benefit Adult Center for Transition (ACT) students.
In spring 2023, Brian W. Jones and Joanne Katzen-Jones established the William H. Jones and Julian S. Katzen Endowment in memory of their parents. It is a $10,000 endowment. This endowment will fund a $500 scholarship annually for students in the Adult Center for Transition at Rowan College (ACT) program. The scholarship is open to both Gloucester and Cumberland students.
The signing ceremony took place on April 4, 2023. RCSJ's President Frederick Keating, Brian W. Jones, Joanne Katzen-Jones, Cody Miller, Foundation Director, as well as several ACT students, RCSJ staff, family and friends attended the ceremony in honor and in memory of William H. Jones and Julian S. Katzen.
“The William H. Jones and Julian S. Katzen Memorial Scholarship is named for our fathers who valued education as a key element of both individual and social development. Our fathers were both gentle and kind souls and always sacrificed personal rewards for the benefit of their families," said Jones and Katzen-Jones.
In part, the scholarship recipient will demonstrate the characteristics of their fathers:
- Caring – showing concern for all;
- Kindness – lightening the burden of others; and
- Vigilance – safeguarding those with special needs.
These characteristics, molded together, provide a basis for the true character one needs today in our complex society. The recipient will demonstrate these characteristics as he/she prepares for adult life as a student in the RCSJ college community. This scholarship will help support the student as he/she prepares to contribute to our society.
Other scholarship details include:
- The recipient should be a second- or third-year ACT student.
- The recipient must plan to pursue one of the following programs: RCSJ Degree program, Workforce & Professional Development Institute Certification program, or RCSJ Adult Center for Transition program.
- The recipient must have demonstrated substantial growth during their time in the RCSJ ACT program in several of the following areas: academics, self-advocacy / self-determination, independence, social skills, and/or employment.
The first scholarship award recipient will be announced in fall of 2023.
