In this issue of eSeedlings: SEEDS' All Star Spotlight on William Stone, highlights from SEEDS' Leading Change Benefit and NASDAQ Bell Ringing, and program updates.
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April 2014
SEEDS' All Stars
William Stone
Scholars '04,
Lawrenceville School '08,
Yale University '12,
University of Pennsylvania '14,
Yale Law School '17
 
You may have recently seen William on SEEDS' Facebook page as he was preparing for an interview with a panel including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. For the past two years, William has been one of six Woods Teaching Fellows at Lawrenceville School. William will receive  his Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania next month, and will begin studying for his law degree this fall at Yale Law School.

How did SEEDS prepare you for your educational journey?
SEEDS helped me understand that the expectations my educators set for me extend far beyond "don't do that" and include "do this" or "strive for that." SEEDS helped me believe that the high standards my teachers set for me tell me not only what they want from me, but what they believe I can do.

What are your goals for the future?
From my future law school education, I hope to learn the workings of the social, political and economic contexts in which schools operate, and to develop the skills not only to traverse, but also to improve those landscapes. I enjoy teaching and I hope to teach again one day, but for now, there are other skills I need to develop to accomplish my broader goals in education reform.

What has been your proudest accomplishment to date?
Last year, I had the opportunity to teach a student who completed SEEDS when I interned with the organization in 2009. This student thrived at Lawrenceville, and I had a great time getting to work with him and see him do so well. At alumni weekend, seniors receive pins as a token of their admission into the alumni association. Traditionally, students ask alumni or teachers to pin them, and this particular student asked me. That felt great, and it affirmed that I have been a positive role model for young people, especially people from backgrounds similar to my own.

What is the single best thing that SEEDS has taught you?
SEEDS taught me that learning is as much a social experience as it is an academic one, and that our capacity to learn depends on the environments in which we find ourselves. SEEDS provided me with a dynamic learning environment that was both intellectually stimulating and socially diverse.
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Bleakley, Schwartz, Cooney & Finney, LLC Golf & Tennis Classic
Benefiting
New Jersey SEEDS

August 4, 2014
Mountain Ridge
Country Club

Contact Sarah Cassidy for details.
SEEDS' Summer Program Schedule

CPP Graduation: June 9 (The Newark Club)

Scholars Summer Challenge Program: June 22 - July 11 (The Hill School)

College Preparatory Program Summer Collegiate Experience: June 29 -
July 13 (Hobart and William Smith Colleges)

Young Scholars Program Steps 1 and 3: June 30 - August 1 (Delbarton School)

Scholars Capstone Experience: July 13 -
August 1 (The Hill School)

Young Scholars Luncheon: July 17 (Delbarton School)

Scholars and Young Scholars Graduation:
August 2 (Summit High School)

Scholars Leadership Retreat: August 17 -
August 19 (Princeton Blairstown Center)

To schedule a visit, please contact Jennifer Mehr, Director of Development.
Andy Hoge (SEEDS' Director of Admissions and Placement), Meg Ahern (Director of Financial Aid and Middle School Admission at Morristown Beard School), Bernadette Sarlo (SEEDS' Associate Director of Placement) and Marie Myers (Director of Admissions at Concord Academy) at NPEA's "Meeting the Need" Workshop last week.
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SEEDS' Leading Change Benefit is Most Successful Fundraiser in Organization's History!
 
On April 8, more than 400 guests joined New Jersey SEEDS at The Park Savoy for the organization's 3rd Annual Leading Change Benefit. It was an opportunity to celebrate SEEDS' successes and honor those whose initiative and commitment have enhanced the educational opportunities of young people. 

In addition to an opportunity to meet SEEDS' remarkable alumni, attendees recognized this year's Leading Change honorees - ADP, whose award was accepted by CEO Carlos Rodriguez, and Alan and Jennifer Fournier.

Check out all the photos from the event on SEEDS' website.
SEEDS Rings NASDAQ Opening Bell

New Jersey SEEDS had the opportunity to ring the NASDAQ Opening bell on March 25. To celebrate the awarding of a multi-year grant from the NASDAQ OMX Educational Foundation, SEEDS President Ronni Denes rang the bell with several SEEDS Trustees, including Lee Shavel, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of The NASDAQ OMX Group, along with SEEDS alumni and donors.

Missed the live bell ringing? View photos and video of the event.


Photos and video © The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. 2014.
Annual Parents Luncheon

Thanks to the more than 275 family members and guests who joined SEEDS for the Annual Parents Luncheon on March 22 at The Newark Club. (View all photos from the event.)

During an afternoon celebrating the achievements of their children, guests heard from Trustee Emmanuel Bello (Scholars '00, Blair Academy '04, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill '08) and John Hall (father of John Alexander Hall, Scholars '07, Concord Academy '11, Davidson College '15) who shared their own SEEDS experiences.
Program Recaps
Young Scholars finished reading "We Beat the Streets" to prepare for the March 8 workshop hosted by the Essex Hudson Chapter of Jack and Jill of America. The Foundation for Success workshop was a day-long event with a discussion of "We Beat the Streets" and keynote speech by  Dwayne D. Warren, Esq., the Mayor of the City of Orange Township (pictured above). 

In addition to ongoing Book Club discussions and Brown Bag Lunches, Young Scholars continued to explore the arts with a visit to the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey on April 5. While there, students toured exhibits and created self portraits (pictured above).
Scholars participated in SEEDS' annual Hospital Day on April 12. Thanks to the teams at Hackensack University Medical Center (pictured) and Morristown Medical Center for allowing Scholars to shadow doctors, nurses and technicians in a variety of specialties. The event is designed to introduce Scholars to the many potential career paths available in healthcare and medicine. 
Juniors in SEEDS' College Preparatory Program traveled to five college campuses on this year's spring college tour (pictured below). With stops at Albright College, Elizabethtown College, Franklin & Marshall College, Muhlenberg College and Villanova University, the 16 CPP scholars had an opportunity to explore a variety of academic settings before beginning applications in the fall. 
All of SEEDS' CPP seniors have already received acceptances to colleges or universities. In addition to the list shared in February, more acceptances have come in from: Bard College, Boston College, La Salle University, Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, Quinnipiac University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Congratulations to all CPP scholars on their acceptances!
SEEDS' Guidance Department brought nearly 40 high school scholar alumni on the annual Guidance spring college tour. Visiting 11 colleges and universities in just five days, alumni had the opportunity to tour: Sarah Lawrence College, Vassar College, Bard College (pictured), 
Williams College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Union College, Skidmore College, Colgate University, Hamilton College, Syracuse University and Cornell University.

Several SEEDS alumni served as tour guides during SEEDS' visits: Christiaan Pfeifer (Scholars '08, Concord Academy '12, Sarah Lawrence '16), Sadiki Lewis (CPP '12, Bard College '16) and Brianna Gutierrez (Scholars '09, Wardlaw-Hartridge '13, Union College '17).

For a full recap of the tour, visit the Guidance blog.
On April 15, SEEDS' Alumni Alliance hosted its 2nd Annual Celebrate SEEDS fundraiser. With nearly 30 alumni and friends in attendance, the event was designed to help support future scholars.
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