In addition to certificates of merit, students were gifted monetary awards
Once again in May, at Peachfield in Mount Holly, the historic headquarters and museum of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of New Jersey, members gathered to honor their 2016 awards recipients for outstanding achievement in the field of history.
Samantha Gaetjens Muller of Pennsauken an undergraduate with a double major in history and anthropology from Rutgers Camden was the undergraduate award recipient.
David Niescior of Cherry Hill was the graduate history program award recipient, also from Rutgers Camden.
Both students' papers were deemed outstanding by a convened panel of professors in their respective departments to be nominated as the award recipients. Niescior's award was at the behest of three of the Colonial Dames Societies: New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, with New Jersey being the nominating society this year.
In addition to the Certificates of Merit presented and the luncheon in their honor the students were gifted with a monetary award.
The third history recipient Katie von Schaumburg of Morristown was a national finalist for the Washington Congressional Seminar Essay Contest.
Yearly, the New Jersey Dames fully fund a student's tuition plus stipend at the state level to attend a full week in Washington, D.C., at the seminar. The goal of the essay contest is to teach and stimulate an awareness of U.S. citizenship -- its privileges, opportunities and responsibilities.
The state winner Injee Hong from Skillman was not able to attend the ceremony. Both students were required to submit an essay on a specific topic which was then judged on the state level where the state recipient was chosen and then alternate choice essays were sent on for judging nationally. The New Jersey Dames are justifiably proud to have winners yearly not only at the state level but the national level as well.
The history awards ceremony is an annual tradition with family and the nominating professors invited to be part of the day. The New Jersey Dames and Rutgers Camden History Department have enjoyed this partnership which highlights outstanding students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
This item submitted by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of New Jersey.