Cocula scholarship winners announced

VERNON — The John Cocula Memorial Scholarship Fund today announced the winners of 18 John Cocula Memorial Scholarship recipients for 2016, totaling $27,000, with the Fund’s total awards to date now exceeding $300,000.

The fund also is pleased to announce that the John Cocula Memorial Golf Outing, the main fundraiser for the fund, will be held at Black Bear Golf Club on Thursday, June 23.

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 long-time 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. “Bunny” Cocula, founding member of the John Cocula Memorial Scholarship Fund and his wife. "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."

Competition for the scholarships, which will partially fund selected students’ education in 2016 academic year, was intense. The John Cocula Memorial Scholarship Fund received numerous applications from students in Vernon and Garfield High Schools and vigorously reviewed their credentials before arriving at this year’s winners. Eligible students must be a resident of Garfield or Vernon and must attend an accredited higher education program. Selection criteria includes academic performance, two letters of recommendation, participation in sports on some level and a brief personal essay of 200 words or more.