Every year, Centenary University grants a full scholarship to one student from Hackettstown High School (HHS) who has shown exemplary volunteer work and community service. This year, Alexander Clauson, freshman elementary liberal arts education major, was awarded the HHS Partnership Scholarship.

Receiving this scholarship was a major catalyst in preparing Clauson for his transition from high school to college. 

Throughout K-12, Clauson participated in many community service organizations, including Kiwanis Kids, Key Club, and National Honor Society (NHS). He volunteered at local carnivals, donation drives, and other community events. He also served as a peer tutor in high school, participated in food drives, and volunteered at the Rodriguez Family Free Thanksgiving Dinner several years in a row. 

As a high school senior, Clauson completed a transitions job training program, where he worked on campus as an assistant in the Cyclone Dining Hall and in the Starbucks in the Seay building. He also volunteered at Willow Grove Elementary School in Hackettstown as a student-teacher-in-training with a mixed-ed third grade class and a special education fourth grade class. 

At Centenary, Clauson plans to continue participating in community service organizations on campus and has a personal goal to put aside time and $20 a month towards giving back to the community, including donating to the food pantry on Main Street outside of Living Water Church. He hopes to involve other groups and students on campus in his endeavors. 

His goal as a future educator is to help others succeed and make a difference to the world. After finishing his bachelor’s degree, Clauson plans to pursue a Master’s in Special Education from Centenary and hopes to gain student-teaching experience in all grades. 

His advice for Hackettstown High School students looking to apply for the scholarship is “if you have extra time, do something. Join a sports program. Join the drama club. Play your heart out in band class. Join an after school activity. Participate in the gardening club.”

“You also have to focus on always trying to do your best in school,” said Clauson. “Take every opportunity you’ve got. Even if other people may have more money or more resources than you, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a successful person. Everyone has the same amount of time in a day and the willpower to do really incredible things. It might seem hard to do at first, or tricky, or boring, or not interesting, but the more you try to put yourself out there and the more you try to be the best kind of person you can be, the more likely you are to be considered as an applicant for this [scholarship].”

Three current Centenary students and one recent graduate also previously received a full scholarship through this HHS and CU partnership – Lena Lutcza, graduate continuing with her MBA in finance while also working full time as a Freshman Admissions Counselor and Enrollment Management Specialist; Andrew Kmetz, senior sports management major with a criminal justice minor; Hailey Tibus, junior; and Kygen Garletts, sophomore biology major with a concentration in environmental science. 

Let’s hear from some of them. 

How has getting a full scholarship to Centenary University impacted your life?  

“Attending Centenary on a full scholarship allowed me to explore endless opportunities to help my professional career. I was able to join athletic teams, clubs, and have multiple internships through the help of Centenary. Education can be a financial burden to anyone, and as an ambitious high school student; I wanted to make the most out of my education but be financially smart about it. At Centenary, I took advantage of every opportunity possible, setting me up for success upon graduation,” said Lutcza. 

“Winning the scholarship helped me in multiple ways. One way is that it helps my family. Being raised by a single mother who took care of both my brother and I, it has been very hard and expensive to raise us. Earning this scholarship helped my mother stress less over how we would pay for school. The scholarship also helped us not to worry about school payments. Therefore, I do not have to worry about making payments to school and can focus on working to save money for life after I graduate from Centenary. I was also able to work an internship last year with the Sussex County Miners as a volunteer. Without the scholarship, I would not be able to do this and gain great experience with the team,” said Kmetz. 

“Receiving a full scholarship has done nothing but positively impact my life. Having this opportunity is such a blessing so I can work at my job alongside going to college. I am able to negate any leftover costs of college and focus on other opportunities such as volunteer work and firefighting,” said Garletts. 

What community service and volunteer work did you do before coming to Centenary University?

“Before Centenary, I was a member of the student government, NHS, and Key Club, where I was able to be very active in my community! For student government, I was part of an initiative that started a yearly kindness day celebration, where high schoolers would visit the elementary and middle schools and do different kindness related activities, spreading love and happiness throughout the community. I also volunteered for the youth football and baseball teams, helping with stats, and was a volunteer softball coach throughout high school. Among these, there were various community events I attended with NHS and Key club in Hackettstown. I have always enjoyed giving back and being a part of the Hackettstown Community,” said Lutcza. 

“Before Centenary, I did a lot of community and volunteer work with Troop 158. I was a Boy Scout and earned Eagle Scout. For this project, I made fleece blankets for cancer patients at Hackettstown Hospital. Besides my project, I did various volunteer work such as food drives, help run donations for homeless people, people with cancer, and people who are in need,” said Kmetz.

“Before Centenary I had two major volunteer services that I actively participated in. I was a junior firefighter for the Allamuchy fire department (now probationary), and I founded/ ran Clean Community Club at Hackettstown High School, a club dedicated to bettering the environment through participation in roadside cleanup and other environmental opportunities,” said Garletts. 

What community service initiatives have you brought or plan to bring to campus?

“During my time at Centenary, I got myself very involved on campus. I joined our Enactus Team, which is a social entrepreneurship organization where students are able to create and run businesses directly through the school. Our projects are considered a non-profit model, so many of my community service has come from the time I dedicated to developing these projects. I worked on our ChiForce Medical Access wear, which is a jacket designed for chemotherapy and various port and IV treatments. Our business model is we take donations and provide jackets to those in need, or they can be purchased on our website. Here, I not only learned the valuable principles of running a business, but went to community outreach events to spread awareness about this cause and project. We worked closely with a local childhood cancer foundation, the Hackettstown BID, and other community members to spread awareness and get our jackets to those in need,” said Lutcza.

“During my time at Centenary, I was able to use my time volunteering with Boy Scouts working for the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 158. For one project,  I volunteered to make sensory corners for little kids or special need kids in schools. The other project was to help build a pavilion for Union Cemetery Association,” said Kmetz.

“I haven't had the time to bring this idea to the attention of Centenary leaders and staff members as of yet. But I would like to bring more greenery to the campus grounds. The grass between the buildings provides space  and general greenery to the college landscape but lacks the comfort and “eye candy” that a beautiful garden or shade of trees and various vegetation would provide. Of course, there's the obvious issues of groundskeeping and maintenance, but the benefits of making the school look prettier and “alive” will far outweigh the costs. I believe that by implementing this to the school we can improve the overall happiness of all students on campus, and make the school appear more appealing to students who are considering attending the University,” said Garletts. 

What career or field do you plan to go into after college? When do you plan to graduate?

“I am planning to pursue a career in Finance. I have also been accepted into the 4+1 Master’s in Business Administration at Centenary. While completing my MBA, I am planning to work full time, and am currently going through the job search process! I would love to go into the nonprofit industry, as I had a previous internship with one, and loved the work I did,” said Lutcza. 

“I plan on graduating in the spring of 2026 with a bachelor's degree in sports management and a minor in criminal justice. I plan on working for a business or a sports team after graduating,” said Kmetz.

“After college I plan to become an environmental engineer. Other than that I would love to film and document different videos showcasing and addressing environmental issues and hopefully work towards solving them,” said Garletts. 

What is something you would tell HHS students who want to apply for the scholarship?

“I would tell any HHS student to apply for the scholarship! It is such a great opportunity and I believe that all students have the right to an education, regardless of their situation. Getting this scholarship allowed me to pursue a college education, and have less worry about my finances in the future. I could focus on academics and get internships that may have paid less than a regular job, but helped me grow professionally and open the door to more opportunities. The Centenary community is like no other, and I have met so many wonderful mentors and friends, who I can call my family as I am about to graduate. Centenary is a community filled with opportunity and support for anyone that steps on campus, which is why I decided to apply for the scholarship, and attend the University!” said Lutcza. 

“My advice is to be active in school. Go to school sport games, concerts, activities, and concerts. Apply for anything and everything you want in your life. Apply for as many scholarships, internships, volunteer opportunities, etc. Finally, always think positive. Even if you don't win or get something you want, there is always a positive side. All your failures should be used for motivation and fuel to keep pushing. You can do anything you want as long as you put your mind and heart to it,” said Kmetz.

“I would like to tell HHS students who apply to the scholarship that they should always keep trying no matter what. Strive for greatness like no other and you will be guaranteed success,” said Garletts. 

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Congratulations, Alexander, Lena, Andrew, Hailey, and Kygen! From everyone at The Cyclone Chronicle, we hope you have a fantastic school year!