Three eighth-grade students from South Jersey Catholic schools were recently awarded tuition scholarships as part of the 2023 Dr. David T. Coghlan Young Catholic Leader Award.
Established in memory of Dr. David T. Coghlan, a former superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Camden who died in 2005, the scholarships are given to incoming freshmen who will be attending a diocesan Catholic High school in the fall.
Caitlin Eucogcan, an eighth-grader from Saint Joseph Regional School, Somers Point, was awarded the top prize of $1,000. Le Nguyen from Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School, Atlantic City, and Melissa Napoli, from Assumption Regional Catholic School, Galloway, received $500 each. In addition, the Diocese’s Office of Catholic Schools sent each of the three students a $50 Amazon gift card.
All plan to attend Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, in the fall.
“The qualifications to receive this award in his honor are demanding,” said Dr. Bill Watson, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools. “These students have shown a combination of leadership and academic excellence that is truly outstanding. We are grateful to the Coghlan family for supporting their continued growth in Catholic high schools.”
Principals from throughout the Diocese were asked to nominate an eighth-grade student who best fits the mission of Catholic education and exemplifies excellence in all aspects of school life. Nominated students were asked to complete an application and write an essay in which they shared their own story of inspiration and why they planned on continuing their Catholic education in high school.
In her winning application, Eucogcan noted that she had attended public school before entering Saint Joseph in sixth grade. She discovered that “while my public school experience has shown me the importance of using my gifts and talents to benefit others, in Catholic school, I have actually been able to contribute to my community more.”
To this end, she has been active with the youth ministry at Saint Joseph Parish in ways such as writing Valentine’s Day cards for the elderly and organizing donations for a parish baby shower.
Her school and church community’s “emphasis on service and living our faith has left an impression on me,” she said. “It has inspired me to pray more and be a better example for the people around me so that they, too, are inspired to do good deeds of their own.”
At Holy Spirit High School, she plans to be involved in sports and join student government to “make the school a better place for me and my peers.”
Dr. Janice Fipp, principal of Saint Joseph Regional School, praised Eucogcan “as a young lady of great faith who demonstrates dedication to the service to others as well as to her academics. Her light shines brightly in all she does.”
Katharine Coghlan said she continues to be delighted that the award not only honors her late husband but “allows us to see his vision alive in our Catholic school graduates.
“The scholarship essays certainly affirm the value of the Catholic school experience,” she said. “Not only are these students articulate with their expression and writing skills, but their words reflect an understanding of how to bring Christ’s compassion to the world.”
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