Tuesday, Mar 26, 2019
Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation Scholarship Reception recognizes 33 recipients
by Susan Hammond
Women’s History Month provides an opportunity for individuals to reflect on the contributions great women have made and celebrate their legacy. The late Charlotte W. Newcombe (1890-1979) is one such woman. Though she was unable to attend college herself, Newcombe greatly valued higher education, sending the children of several friends to college. In her will, she established the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation, and its Board chose to honor Newcombe by continuing to make scholarships available for college students with financial need.
On March 7, 33 motivated women undergraduates were honored during Rider University’s 10th annual Charlotte W. Newcombe scholarship reception.
For the past 38 years, Rider, in partnership with the Newcombe Foundation, has awarded more than 1,500 scholarships to assist nontraditional female students over the age of 25 with financial need seeking to complete their degrees. Rider has received $1,591,800 from the Foundation, and has matched much of these donations with its own contributions. Without their support, many of these women would be unable to continue their studies.
In addition, over the last three years, individuals and organizations have partnered with the Foundation to establish endowed scholarships to assist Newcombe eligible students. Two such entities include the Rider Women’s Leadership Council and Dr. Katherine E. Mortimer.
At the reception, Sylvia Troutman ’18 shared how receiving the Rider Women’s Leadership Council-Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship in honor of President Emeritus Mordechai Rozanski gave her renewed self-confidence.
“I started thinking about my legacy and how I might be remembered, and I honestly felt privileged to be a recipient of an award founded by such a giving person,” she said.
Troutman experienced a series of stopgaps in pursuing her academic goals as she spent time raising her family. As the years and jobs passed by, she was unfulfilled and wanted to set an example for her children by finishing what she started. Troutman felt her children were old enough for her to focus on herself and achieve her academic goals. At 46, she enrolled at Rider and later applied for the Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship. ”The scholarship definitely provides financial relief, but it also relieves some of the mental and emotional stress caused by the financial strain,” she said.
Throughout her life, Carolyn Witrock '19, recipient of the Dr. Katherine E. Mortimer-Charlotte W. Newcombe Endowed Scholarship, has shown resilience in the face of adversity. As a teen, Witrock lacked support to continue her education beyond high school. Her life circumstances tested her strength and made her question her self worth.
The difficult years that followed took a toll on her physically, psychologically and emotionally. But at 30, the survivor in Witrock was determined to make a fresh start, and she began to take classes at Bergen County Community College.
“I was struggling to pay for each class, work full-time and just meet my financial obligations each month," she said. "I couldn't see myself ever having the means to afford a four-year school.”
However, with the love and encouragement from her husband, Barry, and her daughter, Ella, along with the guidance from the team at the College of Continuing Studies, Witrock fulfilled her longing to return to college. She enrolled at Rider and will graduate this December with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. With a 4.0 GPA, she is on track to receive a Summa Cum Laude honor. Witrock will continue on at Rider to earn her master's in applied behavioral science, a field where she can empower children with disabilities to find their voice, as she had.
“Receiving the Dr. Katherine E. Mortimer-Charlotte W. Newcombe Endowed Scholarship is the door that has opened to my future and a stepping stone to my greater achievements,” she said.
Beyond the financial support, receiving a Newcombe scholarship empowers women to overcome a multitude of emotional obstacles, giving them the confidence to advance in their academic program or career. Recipients of a Newcombe Foundation scholarship share a powerful sentiment: “Someone believed in me when it was difficult for me to believe in myself,” as one recipient put it at the reception.
“As a first-generation college student, you might be like me; you want things to happen overnight. In life, you have to wait for things to unfold in order to attain what you want,” said Barbie Gomez ’17, a Newcombe Scholarship recipient who expressed her gratitude to be among the group of accomplished Newcombe students and alumni.
“Each year, it’s an honor to meet our Newcombe Scholarship recipients and hear their stories," said Denise Pinney, associate vice president of campaign operations and director of corporate and foundation relations. “They’re truly an inspiration. If she were alive today, Mrs. Newcombe would be thrilled to meet our students and to know the tremendous impact she has had on them.”
The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation offers scholarship aid to women over the age of 25 who have completed 60 credits (at least half of a baccalaureate degree). Applicants may be enrolled part- or full-time, and scholarships are awarded on the basis of clarity of career goals, financial need and academic record.