The following Manasquan High School students have each been awarded a $1,250 Sea Lavender Garden Club Scholarship. Selection was based on an essay addressing a local environmental issue, extracurricular and community activities, and academic achievement. We are proud to recognize the following graduates:

James O'Toole (STEM Academy) has chosen Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering for his college majors. He has been accepted into Northeastern University’s New York City Scholars Program and will begin his studies at Marymount Manhattan College alongside a cohort of first-year Northeastern students. His essay focused on improving trash receptacles and recycling bins throughout the community to help preserve the integrity of local beaches and oceans. His extracurricular activities include beach sweeps, park cleanups, and collaboration with the Sea Lavender Garden Club on various town projects.

Deavin Santos participated in numerous activities, including the Environmental Club (grades 9–12) and membership in the Science National Honor Society. Deavin plans to pursue a degree in medicine with a focus on Dermatology and has been accepted to the UCLA College of Letters and Science, majoring in Chemistry. His essay, “Living Dunes: Designing a Smarter Shoreline,” highlighted a student-designed system to restore and maintain dunes that support wildlife and native plants.

Elle Vitanzo (STEM Academy) participated in the STEM program (grades 9–12), Math League, and Science League. Her essay addressed the critical need to identify and remove toxic compounds from the environment, particularly from water sources. Elle served as a Chemist Intern with a Google Brain startup and contributed to a project focused on improving human health. She also participated in research for a patent-pending invention at Osmo.ai. Elle has been accepted to Duke University, where she will major in Environmental Engineering and Applied Science.

Ellie Sitar (STEM Academy) has been accepted to Penn State Schreyer Honors College, where she plans to major in Animal and Environmental Sciences, with interests in wildlife biology, pre-veterinary studies, ecology, and environmental science. As a member of the STEM program, Ellie was inducted into both the National Honor Society and the National History Society. Her essay focused on educating the public about the use of native pollinator plants to support butterflies and wildlife, helping ecosystems flourish while promoting biodiversity.

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Each year the Sea Lavender Garden Club holds a Mother’s Day Plant and Bake Sale fundraiser. The profits from the plant sale supports the scholarships that we give out each year. Thanks to the support of the community, the club was able to award scholarships to 4 students this year. Thanks to our club members for working so hard to make the sale a success.