Student Scholarships

The scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate student who

• is expected to have earned a total of 60-90 credits by June of the semester preceding the fellowship (normally a Junior)
• is currently enrolled in any of the Rutgers Undergraduate colleges and will be enrolled during the 2020-21 academic year
• combines solid academic work with social activism

The application/nomination process consists of the following:

• a letter of nomination by an AAUP-AFT member, describing the student’s involvement in activism, whether on/off campus, and explaining why the student would be a good choice for this particular award
• a personal statement by the student, regarding both current activism and long-term goals
• a copy of the student’s transcript
• a résumé listing the student’s activities and responsibilities
• a letter of recommendation by a second AAUP-AFT member

Please also send all scholarship application materials to the following address:

Wells H. Keddie Scholarship Fund
Rutgers Council of AAUP/AFT Chapters
11 Stone Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
E-mail: aaup@rutgersaaup.org 

The 2017 winners were Carimer Andujar – $2500 (Major: Chemical Engineering); Dominique Carlucci – $1500 (Major: English); Anjanette Vaidya – $1500 (Major: Geography; Minors: Environmental Studies and Africana Studies); Jamila Daniel – $1000 (Major: Anthropology); Aysenur Guc – $1000 (Major: Philosophy; Minor: Religion); Christopher Markosian – $1000 (Major: Molecular Biology & Biochemistry; Minor: Chemistry); and Taqwa Brookins – $500 (Major: Public Health).

The 2016 winners were Alyssa Delal Kocak – $1000 (Majors: Philosophy and Communication; Minor: Digital Communication, Information & Media-New Brunswick); Pinky Liau – $1000 (Major: Environmental Science-New Brunswick); Antolina Padua – $1000 (Major: Communication; Minor: Critical Sexualities Studies-New Brunswick); Sivan Rosenthal – $1500 (Majors: Planning & Public Policy and Middle Eastern Studies-New Brunswick); and Monica Torres – $1500 (Majors: Latino & Caribbean Studies and Women’s & Gender Studies; Minor: History-NB). View slideshow of the winners of the 2016 Wells H. Keddie Scholarship (AAUP-AFT on Flickr.com)

The 2015 winners were Ana Bonilla-Martinez (Public Health-New Brunswick); Thais Marques (Political Science-Newark); Ezra Sholom (Labor Studies & Employment Relations-New Brunswick); and Brian Gregg (Urban Studies-Camden). Each student received $2,500.

The 2014 winners were Hannah Roe, a Women and Gender Studies major with minors in Geography and Labor Studies, New Brunswick; and Anna Barcy, a double major in Latin American Civilization Studies and Comparative Literature, New Brunswick. Both students are activists with Rutgers United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) and each received $2,500 in scholarship funds.

The 2013 winners were Stephanie Rivera, School of Arts & Sciences, New Brunswick – $2,500; Giancarlo Tello, Department of Political & Applied Science, Newark – $2,500; and Lauren Carlbon, Department of Public Policy & Administration, Camden – $1,500.

The 2012 winners were Ryan Rusinski, Visual Arts, New Brunswick – $2,500; Jusleen Ahluwalia, Human Ecology, Cell Biology & Neuroscience, New Brunswick – $1,000; and Hyun Kyu Seo, Computer Science, Camden – $1,000.

The Trustees of the Wells H. Keddie Scholarship are the following Rutgers University employees and members of Rutgers AAUP-AFT:

Amy Bahruth, Labor Studies, SMLR, Cook Campus, New Brunswick

Elizabeth Hull, Political Science, Newark

Jose Robinson, Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), Senior Counselor Special Programs, Camden

• The AFTNJ Nicholas Yovnello Social Justice Scholarship Award is open to any AFTNJ member in good standing who has been a member for at least one year – or a family member of an AFTNJ member in good standing who has been a member for at least one year.
• For AFTNJ members or family members, the scholarship award is open to graduating high school seniors or students currently enrolled in either a public college, trade school or a union apprenticeship program, excluding graduate students.
• The scholarship award is also open to seniors, public college or trade school students currently attending an AFTNJ represented school. Applicants must submit a recommendation from an AFTNJ member in good standing with their local (agency fee payers excluded).
• Children or legal dependents of AFTNJ or local union staff are also eligible for this scholarship opportunity.

• The award is based on demonstrated social justice activism over the course of at least one year.
• Activism can be take place on school, campus, community or in your workplace.
• For high school seniors, the $1,000 scholarship award is paid in full the following September upon proof of enrollment.
• For current enrollees of a college, trade school or apprenticeship program, the scholarship award is paid in full at the beginning of the following semester, upon proof of enrollment.
• The scholarship award will be paid to the recipient or higher education institution attended by the recipient.
• The scholarship must be used within two years of the date the award is made.
• Notification of Award Recipient
• The AFTNJ Nicholas Yovnello Social Justice Scholarship Award brings together a voluntary committee of AFTNJ members in good standing from around the state to review the completed applications and select the recipient.
• Applicants will be automatically notified upon completion of the application process. Notification constitutes receipt of the application.
• All scholarship winners will be notified by on or about the first of August every year.
• Award will be presented to selected student activist at the AFTNJ Nick Yovnello Social Justice Scholarship Award Brunch, usually held in September. Recipient must be able to attend in person to receive the award.
• Required Documents which must be included within the application form:
• Completed Nick Yovnello Social Justice Scholarship Application Questionnaire
• Latest Secondary School, College, Trade School or Apprenticeship Report Card (to prove enrollment). Grades are not a factor in determining the scholarship recipient.
• Applicant Reference Sheets – Two completed Applicant References, one of which must be an AFTNJ member in good standing with their local (agency fee payers excluded).
• In some cases, interviews of applicant finalists will be required. In these cases the finalists will be notified and asked to meet with the Scholarship Selection Committee.