Manalapan Student Wins League of Municipalities Scholarship

Manalapan resident Kandace Kaplan was one of the three state winners of the Louis Bay 2nd Future Municipal Leaders Scholarship Competition, which is offered by the New Jersey League of Municipalities. 

The contest is for high school juniors and seniors intending on attending college. Participants were required to write an essay of approximately 500 words on “What My Mayor and Governing Body Do Best” 

“The purpose of this scholarship is to advance the virtues of elected and volunteer positions in municipal government while raising awareness of municipal government in general,” Manalapan Mayor Susan Cohen read from the proclamation. 

Each municipality was required to form a scholarship committee, which in Manalapan consisted of Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz, Manalapan Township Administrator Tara Lovrich, and Teen Leadership Committee Chairman Marcie Stillman. This committee read the two contest submissions and decided to submit Kaplan’s essay to the League of Municiaplites as the winning local entry. 

Kaplan’s essay was named a finalist  and, ultimately, was awarded one of the top three winners of the competition by the League of Municipalities. As a winner, Kaplan was presented with a $1,000 check and her essay will be featured in New Jersey Municipalities magazine. 

The other Manalapan entrant, Alyson Bilder, was awarded a Certificate of Participation for entering in the contest.