The second annual Jonathan Page Memorial Scholarship Beef and Beer will take place on Saturday, August 17, at theWoodbine Swim Club. The scholarship, created in 2011, honors Merchantvillenative Jonathan Page, who passed away at the age of 32 alongside his wife in a California car accident in 2010.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Jonathan Page Memorial Scholarship Fund, which helps graduating seniors at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Page’s alma mater, pursue a degree in science, just as he did. Admission to the event is a $25 donation and it will feature a chance auction, a DJ andfood by Catering by Michael Masso and F. Masso’s Gran Forno Pizza and Catering, located in Marlton, N.J. The fundraiser, which also features beer and wine, will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight; RSVP is required.
The Scholarship was created to honor Page’s love of science, a field in which hethrived far beyond high school. The goal of the Fund is to raise money annually to help students for years to come. Last year’s Beef and Beer raised more than $10,000. Each year, teachers from the school choose one outstanding student planning to pursue a degree in the sciences to receive the $1,000 collegescholarship. This year’s recipient is Eric Franklin, of Mount Laurel, N.J., who will attend University of Rochester in the fall and hopes to either design his own major inastrobiology or pursue a degree in biochemistry. “I am pursuing a job in the sciences, hopefully as a researcher with NASA or aresearch university,” Franklin said. “The Jonathan Page Memorial Scholarship will help ease the burden of the expensive education that a prestigious school like Rochester provides. It means a lot to me that the teachers who chose me to receive the scholarship consider me of similar caliber to the great mind and person that Jonathan was.” Franklin added that “despite the tragedy of his death, I can play a role in keeping his memory and his legacy alive” through their shared passion for science. “I was surprised and especially flattered when I received the scholarship because usually the honor goes to one of the students in AP Physics. It just further complimented me that my teachers saw the connection between who Jonathan was and who I am despite my not taking AP Physics. What I’m most excited about for college is the increased freedom, to take control of myself, my life, what I want to study and what I want to do.
The opportunities in college are endless and I regret that I only have four years to explore.”Joe Meloni, of Sewell, N.J., a sophomore at Drexel University, received the scholarship in 2012 and Frank Devone, of Voorhees, who is entering his third year at Ursinus College, received the inaugural scholarship in 2011. After graduating from Bishop Eustace in 1996, Page went on to earn a degree in physics from Cornell University in 2000 and established a strong background in engineering research. He worked as an engineer for Communications & Power Industries, Inc. in Palo Alto, Calif., developing anti-missile systems for the Navy, thus saving many lives. For more information or to RSVP to the Beef and Beer, please contact Nancy Page at cancun817@gmail.com or visit the Facebook page at .
