TRENTON, N.J., Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Four New Jersey heroes were awarded college
scholarships today as a result of their fast thinking and brave
actions. The students, from Passaic, Morris, Hunterdon and Ocean counties, were each awarded $10,000 and named winners of the Dana Christmas
Scholarship for Heroism. The scholarship was created by the NJ
Legislature and is being funded in its entirety by PSEG.
The Dana Christmas Scholarship Fund was established in honor of
Dana Christmas, the student who
jeopardized her life to help her peers avoid serious injury during
the tragic 2000 Seton Hall dormitory
fire. The Fund awards scholarships to New
Jersey students who have performed exceptional acts of
heroism and may be used for undergraduate or graduate expenses.
This year's recipients are Neil
Mehta, Tim Ghanny,
Paul Tarashuk and Kayla Irwin.
The Dana Christmas Scholarship is administered through the New
Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA), a
non-profit, state designated authority. For over 50 years HESAA has
helped millions of New Jersey
students receive financial assistance through outreach and aid
programs.
"The bravery and quick thinking displayed by these four
scholarship winners during what had to be a time of incredible
stress was exemplary," said Acting Governor Kim Guadagno. "Not only did they not panic, they
totally kept their composure and helped saved the lives of others.
The actions of these four young people truly mirror those of
Dana Christmas."
The state's dire financial circumstances resulted in the
elimination of funding for the scholarship program. At the request
of HESAA, the PSEG Foundation agreed to fund the program in its
entirety for the second year in a row.
"So much attention is given to troubled youth, it's refreshing
to hear stories about people who display grace under pressure and a
willingness to help," said Ralph
LaRossa, president and chief operating officer of PSE&G.
"We are inspired by these young people and happy to help them
pursue their studies and their dreams."
"This public private partnership encourages exemplary
citizenship and the pursuit of higher education," said Gabrielle Charette, Esq., executive director of
HESAA. "HESAA applauds PSE&G for its good corporate citizenship
and our four recipients for their bravery."
The 2011 Dana Christmas Scholarship for Heroism honorees:
- Neil Mehta of Wayne – Mehta Performed CPR on his dying
friend after a horrific car accident left them both upside down in
a car that had flipped several times. After sustaining several
injuries himself, Mehta crawled back into the car that was leaking
gasoline in order to retrieve a cell phone to call 911. His friend
survived after four subsequent brain surgeries, but especially
because of Mehta's brave efforts.
- Tim Ghanny of Montville – Ghanny saved his 82-year-old
grandmother from a devastating house fire. After the rest of his
family had fled to safety, he rushed back into the house to the
second story to escort his elderly grandmother from the engulfing
flames. Ghanny led her to the roof then lowered her down to
safety.
- Paul Tarashuk of Flemington – Tarashuk saw an elderly woman
turn off the road onto a major highway into oncoming traffic. He
immediately followed her and helped her to maneuver her car off the
road, preventing the woman and other drivers from an inevitable
accident. After paramedics arrived Tarashuk escorted the frightened
woman to the hospital, staying with her until family arrived
several hours later.
- Kayla Irwin of Toms River – Irwin held onto her six-year-old
cousin who had missed the seat of a moving ski lift. At the age of
12, she clung to the young child's arm for over 120 feet and did
not let her go until a fellow skier was positioned under the child
to safely catch her. Irwin reassured the child the entire time and
selflessly held the child without her own safety bar, as the lift
had risen over 25 feet in the air.
For photos and more information about the award winners, please
visit the www.pseg.com newsroom.
PSEG (NYSE: PEG) has a long tradition of caring for
New Jersey's people and
communities. Each year, the energy company and its employees invest
millions of dollars and thousands of hours to improve the quality
of life in New Jersey. The
company's culture dictates that service to customers and community
go hand-in-hand.
Since 1959, HESAA, a non-profit, state designated Authority,
has delivered over $18 billion in
financial aid. Each year, over 1 million individuals receive
assistance from outreach and aid programs administered by
HESAA including the Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) program, the Part-time
TAG for County College Students, NJSTARS and STARS II, the
Coordinated Garden State Scholarship program, the Federal Family
Education Loan program, NJCLASS, and NJBEST.
Want to know what's new at PSEG? Go to
www.pseg.com/getnews and sign up to have our press
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SOURCE Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)