Reaching Out
24
MAY 2017 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE
PLANTING THE SEEDS (left to Right) Allen Meisel, longtime SEEDS
trustee, John F. Castano, executive director of NJ SEEDS, Amy Z.
Ziebarth-head of Farbrook School and former executive director
of NJ SEEDS and Erika Fanelle, chair of the Friends of SEEDS
tional volunteers,” says Fanelle. She adds that SEEDS
welcomes volunteers at any level of commitment, from
occasional breakfast-bringer to major donor or fundraiser.
Fanelle was introduced to SEEDS in 2009 through Amy
Ziebarth. Currently head of school at Far Brook, Ziebarth
served as executive director of SEEDS from 1998-2010
and was honored at its annual Spring Gala in April. She
began volunteering there in the early ’90s and maintains
her connection through the Young Scholars summer pro-
gram at Far Brook. “SEEDS can transform these kids’
lives, but at the same time they are transforming us,”
Ziebarth says. “Not just their work ethic, but also their
diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, bring different
perspectives to our community.”
For longtime board member Allen Meisels, also of Short
Hills, the appeal of SEEDS is more a matter of numbers. “As
a retired businessman, I am impressed by the rate of return on
investment,” Meisels says. “SEEDS costs $17,000 per kid,
which yields around $450,000 in high school and college
scholarships. It’s unbelievable that for that sum of money,
you get to see someone’s life change before your eyes.” ■
For more information, please go to NJSEEDS.org.
The newest addition to SEEDS is the College Scholars
Program, a two-year program now in its second year of
admissions. Students apply during their sophomore year.
The current class of College Scholars has 44 students;
an $8 million fundraising campaign is underway to
eventually double that number.
A College Scholar applicant must be nominated by a
guidance counselor and come from a low-income high
school or one serving free or reduced-price lunch. The pro-
gram is writing-intensive and college-focused. “We’ve found
that low-income students typically do better on the ACT
than on the SAT, so we do ACT prep,” Castano says.
“We also work on creating college lists and writing college
application essays; college visits are an important part of
the program. We look for schools that are competitive and
generous with financial aid, which may mean exposing
these kids to schools they’ve never heard of.”
After a student is accepted to college, his or her SEEDS
experience shifts more to social preparation, although the
student will also be working on an academic project aimed
at sharpening research and writing skills. This year’s
College Scholars, for instance, are designing a plan that
will help them transition to and succeed in their first year
of college. “We help our kids figure out where to go for
help at college,” Castano says. “They may never have heard
the word bursar before, for instance.”
Once in college, SEEDS graduates are not left to fend
for themselves. They are visited by the Friends of SEEDS
and guidance counselors through junior year and are
offered internship opportunities and networking events.
Each month, SEEDS sends out a listing of internships at a
variety of corporations and nonprofit organizations to its
alumni currently in college. These internship opportunities,
based in New York and New Jersey, come from both board
members (or their connections) and program alumni.
Alumni gatherings held in different cities are important
networking events, as is the annual SEEDS holiday
get-together. Alumni are encouraged to continue their
involvement with the program by participating in panels
or interviewing prospective or current SEEDS scholars.
At the other end of the age spectrum is the Young
Scholars program, added in 2001. This is a one-year pro-
gram serving 22-24 students who apply in fourth or fifth
grade. They spend Saturdays at Newark Academy and sum-
mers at Far Brook School doing SSAT prep and intensive
work in math, English, history and art; busing is provided.
Also provided is a great deal of assistance from dedicat-
ed volunteers. Short Hills resident Erika Fanelle chairs the
“Friends of SEEDS” group; she describes their mission as
“providing care and encouragement to the students.” This
includes conducting mock interviews, chaperoning school-
visiting trips, and sending care packages to students away
at school. Another important role the group fills is provid-
ing Saturday breakfast for the SEEDS Scholars at Newark
Academy, Pingry and Seton Hall Prep. “We call ourselves
the Breakfast Brigade, and we’re always looking for addi-