John Cocula Memorial Golf Outing planned

VERNON — The John Cocula Memorial Scholarship Fund is accepting applications from Vernon and Garfield High School Students who will graduate in 2016 and attend higher education as well as the Sussex County Community College for the 2016-17 school year.

Applications can be obtained at the guidance office of those schools or on the John Cocula Scholarship Facebook page. They must be returned by March 15.

The John Cocula Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to honor the legacy of John Cocula, a former teacher and coach in the Garfield School System and longtime resident of Vernon, and his efforts to encourage students to further their education. The award provides a $1,500 scholarship for each student named to an accredited school for higher education and is funded through private donors and an annual golf outing, as noted below.

"John would be proud to see these students be able to go on to a higher education program," said Andrea Cocula, founding member of the John Cocula Memorial Scholarship Fund and his wife. She continued, "together with the support of so many outstanding donors and members of the Sussex County community, we will continue to honor John’s vision of helping exceptional students to further their dreams."

"It is an honor to team up and work with all the members of the committee to support and encourage these talented students," said Austin Carew, chairman of the board of the John Cocula Memorial Scholarship Fund, “and this Fund was itself born of a vision of John Cocula that, ‘TO HELP ONE CHILD IS A LIFETIME REWARD.’”

Eligible high school students must attend Garfield or Vernon and matriculate to an accredited higher education program. There also are a limited number of scholarships for Sussex County Community College students. Selection criteria includes academic performance, 2 letters of recommendation, participation in sports on some level and a brief personal essay of 200 words or more.