New Scholarships Added at Event for Donors and Students
From left, Michael McCormick, Cassidy Verrier and Karen McCormick.
Scholarship recipients and their donors got to know each other last month at an annual event that also marked the first year four new endowed scholarships were presented.
A total of 38 scholarships were awarded to 61 students at the Donor/Scholar Reception, sponsored by RSDM and the RSDM Alumni Association. New endowed scholarships included the Michael T. McCormick, Jr. Endowed Scholarship, in memory of an aspiring dental student who died at age 19, and whose sister, Meaghan McCormick, is now a third-year student. His parents, Karen and Michael McCormick, created the scholarship with funds from the Michael T. McCormick, Jr. Memorial Foundation. “Michael was kind, compassionate and caring,’’ said his mother, Karen. “And he always wanted to be a dentist. Establishing this scholarship made me truly feel at peace.’’ The recipient of the scholarship was third-year student Cassidy Verrier.
Said Cassidy, "I can see that Michael was such a great son, brother and friend. The McCormick family has done a wonderful job honoring his legacy and I hope I can as well.''
Another gift, the Edward F. Taylor, DDS and Janet C. Taylor Endowed Scholarship, honored an RSDM alumnus (Class of ’63) and faculty who worked as a dentist for nearly 50 years before he passed away last year. His wife, Janet, worked as the office manager of his dental practice. The scholarship was presented by MaryAnn and Peter Haslestad, Taylor’s nephew. The recipient was fourth-year student Gabriel Aleksandryants, who did some research on Dr. Taylor before the event. “He was a physician’s assistant in the army and that’s how he became interested in dentistry,’’ offered Aleksandryants.
Alumni Drs. Linda and Vanna Stone, who are mother and daughter, created a scholarship together. Both are graduates of RSDM who work at the Stones’ dental practice, Gentle Caring Dentistry in Livingston. Linda Stone is a long-time RSDM supporter who graduated from RSDM in 1982 as one of only a handful of women in her class. Her daughter, Vanna, graduated in 2014 and has also stayed involved in programs at RSDM. The recipient of the inaugural Linda E. Stone, DMD and Vanna N. Stone, DMD Endowed Scholarship is third-year student Ameema Zubairi.
Dr. Anthony Volpe and his wife Marlene also endowed a new scholarship this year. Volpe graduated from RSDM’s first class in 1960, when the school was called The Seton Hall College of Medicine & Dentistry. He went on to work for Colgate-Palmolive as head of Global and Scientific Affairs, a position he held for 50 years. At RSDM, he has helped create several educational and scholarship programs, in addition to supporting the school in many other ways. The inaugural recipient of the Anthony R. Volpe, DDS, MS Endowed Scholarship is third-year student Nicole Czajka.
