Students Recognized At First Annual Plainfield Caddie Scholarship Breakfast

Tuesday, July 30

Six current caddie scholarship recipients were present among Head Golf Professional Scott Paris and Caddie Master David Preacher, and members at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, N.J., for the first annual Plainfield Caddie Scholarship Breakfast. NJSGA President and Plainfield Club Representative H. Frank O’Brien hosted the inaugural reception to honor the Plainfield winners of the NJSGA Caddie Scholarship grants, including the Robert J. Burke Scholarship.

For the 2015-16 academic year, nine Caddie Scholars from Plainfield Country Club are receiving $48,760 in scholarships.

The Robert J. Burke Scholarship was established in the fall of 2014 to honor the longtime Plainfield Country Club member and University of Notre Dame graduate. The special scholarship was created by the support of Bob’s children Sharon and Chris, and family and friends, as he was a proponent of a quality education.

H. Frank O’Brien invited the six Caddie Scholars in attendance to say a few words and share their academic ambitions with those in the room.

George Leavitt is a recipient of the Jay Petersen Memorial Scholarship: a full-tuition scholarship to Rutgers University that honors Jay Petersen’s five decades of service to the NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation as the Education Director and his long time tenure at Rutgers University. Leavitt is an industrial engineering major and plans to minor in economics. “This scholarship relieves the stress of the financial burden of the cost of tuition, which allows me to put all of my focus on my studies. I want to especially thank Scott [Paris] and Dave [Preacher] for allowing me to focus on my studies; they instill in us the values of what the NJSGA promotes.”

Thomas Gerris is a biology major on the pre-dental track at Ohio State University. “Caddieing has taught me a lot of responsibilities and has made be a better person,” he said as he thanked all in the room for the support.

Conrad Yap asked rhetorically, “what does the scholarship mean to me?” He answered emphatically, “What is means to me…is everything. This scholarship opens a multitude of opportunities in this chapter of life. This scholarship encourages us to be good ambassadors for the Caddie Scholarship Foundation and good contributors to society.”

Cody Hughes is studying allied health with a goal to work in pediatrics. “This experience as a caddie scholar is a blessing; I will try my best to honor the scholarship.”

Makuachukwu Okongwu ("MK") is a biology major and music minor at the New Jersey City University with plans to start a career as a nurse practitioner. Calmly, he professed “without this scholarship, I don’t know if I would be in college.” He acknowledges that this experience as a recipient of the Hoffman Scholarship and the Mary Stackhouse Scholarship has made him a role model for the future. Perhaps advice for future recipients, he said gratefully, “the sky is the limit with this scholarship.”

Thomas Snihur is the firstrecipient of the Robert J. Burke Scholarship. “Thomas is the epitome of Burke’s values,” Frank O’Brien said. “Bob was an entertaining friend, a family man, a Notre Dame enthusiast, and a man who has a thirst for knowledge,” O’Brien said, who was a longtime friend of Burke. Snihur is a senior at Marist College where is will graduate with a pre-med degree. He announced with a genuine smile that just the day before, he was accepted into his first medical school, where he will be attending the following Fall. “This scholarship offers opportunity and I am so thankful.”