Photo by James A. McBride
Hillary Peralta accepts the 2014 David T. Coghlan Young Catholic Leader Award Scholarship from Kathy Coghlan. Also pictured are Joan Lind, center, who sponsors the scholarship, and Frances Montgomery, principal of St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral School.
Hillary Peralta, an eighth grade student at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral School in Camden, is the first place winner of the 2014 David T. Coghlan Young Catholic Leader Award Scholarship. Hillary has received a $1,000 tuition scholarship for her freshman year at Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill.
In her winning essay, Hillary expressed her gratitude for the gift of her Catholic education, saying, “To me, Catholic education is not based solely on academics. To succeed in society, you need to have grit, character and passion. These are the qualities that are nurtured in a Catholic school.”
Two second place scholarships of $500 each were merited by Stephen Grimmie of St. Joseph Regional School in Somers Point and Michael A. Macera of St. Mary School, Williamstown. Stephen will attend Holy Spirit High School in Absecon and Michael will attend Camden Catholic High School.
The David T. Coghlan Young Catholic Leader scholarships are presented each year to eighth grade students who will be attending a diocesan Catholic High School. The scholarship is a memorial in honor of Dr. David Coghlan, who was the superintendent of schools from 1994-2004.