The Newsmagazine of Long Beach Island and Southern Ocean County
The Pinelands Cultural Society/Albert Music Hall recently awarded the 2024 Edward W. Rearick PCS Scholarships to 13 graduates of Southern Regional High School. The scholarships were worth a total of $34,000.
The recipients were Ava Bullis, Frederick Gale, Lillian Gale, Elaina Gale, Cassidy DeMasi, Julianna Ambrogio, Jessika Rai, Brielle Romano, Demitri Pierce, Darius Pierce, Mia Spallina, Molly Regulski and Ryan Sicoli. The Gales are triplets and the Pierces are twins, said Barbara Paskin, scholarship committee chair.
PCS, which oversees Albert Music Hall, is a nonprofit that is committed to preserving Pinelands music and heritage and is entirely run by volunteers. Since 1974, the PCS has provided a community atmosphere and a lively stage for supporting local music by hosting live bluegrass, country, folk, Americana and Pinelands music on Saturday nights.
After the original building burned down in July 1992, the Ocean Township Board of Education agreed to allow PCS to use the Frederic Priff School in Waretown for its weekly shows.
As a show of gratitude, PCS began awarding scholarships to selected graduates from Southern Regional High School, leading to the creation of the PCS Scholarship Program in August 1992. In 1996, the board of education deeded land to PCS on which the new Albert Music Hall was constructed, and where the tradition of awarding scholarships persists to this day.
Paskin said Rearick was a lifetime member of PCS. After his death in 2018, part of his estate was willed to the society for scholarships.
“Mr. Rearick believed in supporting young people as they pursue an education, and entrusted PCS to ensure the fund would reach local students – a testament to the organization’s long-standing tradition of supporting the local community,” said Paskin.
She said the society’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering community bonds extends beyond its musical performances.
“By investing in education and supporting local students, they are sowing the seeds for a brighter future for our township,” Paskin said.
Aside from good academic standing, the scholarship committee was also interested in the students’ life stories, such as whether they had overcome hardships to succeed.
“Some of those kids were unsung heroes,” said Paskin, a retired guidance counselor from Asbury Park High School and a musician who performs on the Albert Hall stage. “We were also interested in their extracurricular activities, any honors they received, volunteer work and how they were looking to further their education at a college or university. These are really fine young men and women.” —E.E.
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