Carolyn He and Christopher Garrabrant were named 2025 National Honor Society Scholarship finalists and recognized for their academic excellence, leadership and community impact. They were selected out of a pool of 600 candidates.Provided Images
Out of hundreds of high-achieving students nationwide, only 25 were named National Honor Society scholarship finalists this year — and two of them are from New Jersey.
High school seniors Christopher Garrabrant, of Margate City, and Carolyn He, of Randolph, were named finalists for one of the nation’s most prestigious scholarships.
Now, they‘re preparing to attend top universities this fall.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals founded the National Honor Society in 1921, based on the four pillars of scholarship, service, leadership and character.
To be considered for the award, students must be senior members of the their school’s honor society, submit a personal essay and provide letters of recommendation.
Garrabrant, a senior at Ocean City High School, was awarded a $5,625 scholarship for being a finalist.
He, a student at the Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering — a public magnet high school in Morris Hills — also received a $5,625 scholarship.
“I think I had a moment where I was like, ‘Did I read this email right?’” He said, recalling the moment she learned she was a finalist.
Many National Honor Society scholarship recipients go on to attend prestigious universities.
After earning a perfect 1600 on the SAT, He was accepted to Princeton, MIT, Duke and Cornell, but ultimately chose Stanford University for her next chapter.
Carolyn He stands in front of the Princeton University tiger statue. Though accepted to the Ivy League school, she chose to pursue her degree at Stanford University.Carolyn He
Garrabrant, with a 4.98 GPA, applied to Harvard University under its restrictive early action program and learned in December that he had been accepted to the Ivy League.
Both students were chosen as finalists for their academic excellence and standout involvement in extracurricular activities and volunteer work.
At a young age, Garrabrant joined Post Crashers, an Atlantic County-based nonprofit that prepares meals for homeless veterans. He helped grow its membership to over 900 youth.
The 18-year-old also founded his own organization, Chris’s Coastal Crops, which educates underprivileged youth about gardening and healthy eating.
The inspiration for the organization came from a simple biology assignment on oak trees, he said.
“I went out to my backyard, started collecting acorns, and grew them in my house. That’s when I realized I could combine my passion for agriculture with my community service by creating Chris’s Coastal Crops,” Garrabrant said.
The organization now serves about 200 youth.
Chris Garrabrant gardens with children who are part of his nonprofit, Chris’s Coastal Crops, which teaches youth about gardening and healthy eating.Chris’s Coastal Crops,
Garrabrant was accepted into the Harvard’s Navy ROTC program. He plans to study electrical engineering and hopes to pursue a career as an officer in the U.S. Navy.
His decision to choose Harvard was not easy, as he also received an acceptance from the United States Naval Academy in Maryland, one of the most selective institutions in the country. He was nominated by former U.S. Senator George Helmy and Rep. Jeff Van Drew.
Outside of volunteering, Garrabrant also works as a beach patrol lifeguard during the summer in Ocean City, where he was named Rookie of the Year after making more than 60 rescues in his first season.
Carolyn He also launched her own nonprofit while in high school, called A Sustainable Future, which helps schools reduce their environmental footprint. The organization has helped cut excessive printing in 80 U.S. school districts, saving 2 million sheets of paper and a total of $23,000.
In 2023, He became the president of Women in STEM, an international organization that works with high schools globally to inspire and empower young women to pursue science, technology, engineering and math.
As a bilingual student, He said she was drawn to STEM because numbers became her “digital language.”
Her parents immigrated to New Jersey from China when they were 20 years old, so Chinese was her first language, she said.
“At school, I never really raised my hand during reading, but in math, it kind of gave me a medium to speak up,” He said. “Math definitely helped me cross a language barrier, so to speak.”
At Stanford, He plans to study data science with a focus on social systems, the environment and sustainability.
Both students credit their parents with playing a major role in shaping their academic paths.
“They‘ll never say it to my face, but I know how much they sacrificed to give me the opportunity to pursue higher education in America,” He said.
Garrabrant said his parents also helped shape his passion for education and public service. His father retired from the FBI two years ago, and his career took the family around the world, including to Thailand and Cambodia.
“My parents are always super honest about the value of education,” Garrabrant said. “Some of the biggest breakthrough movements I’ve seen came from understanding how far a strong education can take us.”
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