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Atlantic City, N.J. — When selecting recipients for a full-ride scholarship program that emphasizes professional and leadership development, Alfred Engelberg isn’t just looking for students with a 4.0 GPA – he’s searching for himself.

Before becoming a successful lawyer who supported and worked to break pharmaceutical patents on behalf of generic drug companies, Engelberg was a young man with humble beginnings in Atlantic City who was trying to become the first in his family to graduate from college. 

Thanks to a generous scholarship from the Avoda organization he earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Drexel University and eventually a law degree from New York University.

Now, Engelberg gets to make students’ academic dreams come true, just as the anonymous donor did for him.

“In his career, Al has been very successful and has spent decades involved in philanthropy to make lives better,” said Rabbi Emeritus David Weis, who serves as Engelberg’s representative. “The Engelberg Leadership Scholarship Program is the result of his desire to assist bright, dedicated young people from Atlantic City in pursuing their dreams with the hope that they will devote themselves to becoming change leaders, creating a better community life for all.”

Established in 2019, the ELSP covers four students’ full tuition, room, board, and other expenses beginning in their sophomore year in exchange for their continuing exceptional academic ability and commitment to civic learning. 

Each cohort of students participates in a summer orientation, a common curriculum, professional development activities throughout the academic year, a structured internship based in Atlantic City and a collaborative entrepreneurial capstone project. Since its inception, the program has graduated 11 students and reviewed three capstone projects on topics such as childhood literacy and maternal health. 

“The Engelberg Leadership Scholarship Program is a unique three-year program that is grounded in leadership development that then is put into practice through peer mentoring, internships, and a culminating capstone project where the scholars initiate, plan and conduct a project working to make an impact in Atlantic City,” said Susan Davenport, faculty fellow for the program. “This year’s new students join the existing cohorts in their eagerness to find ways that they can make a difference in their communities.”

The New Kids on the Block

Students become eligible for the program after completing their first year at Stockton University. In the summer prior to their sophomore year, students who live in Atlantic City or have graduated from Atlantic City High School and who hold at least a 3.8 GPA are invited to apply for the program.

After writing an application essay and being interviewed by the selection committee, four students are chosen to become Engelberg Scholars.

The interview can bring many emotions to the surface, like the ambition Yaisha Rios, a Biology major, must have felt as she told the selection committee why she wanted to become an obstetrics/gynecologist.

“To (their question), I answered, ‘I want to be an OBGYN because I want to help bring life into the world,’” Rios shared. “The more in-depth answer is that I not only want to help physically, but I want to be able to give these women the emotional support and comfort that they deserve.” 

Nerves have the tendency to rear their heads as well, like the ones Sage Rosenberg encountered during her interview.

“I had gone over mock interview questions with friends and family, but on my way to the interview, I felt my well-rehearsed answers slowly slip away,” Rosenberg, an Anthropology and Sociology major, said. “I slowly started feeling comfortable because of how engaging and kind the selection committee was. All I could think about during the interview was to stay calm, be my true self and answer the questions to the best of my ability.”

Getting accepted into the program is a moment of pride unlike any other. Dickson Moreno, a Literature major, said he almost “cried with joy” when he told his mother the good news.

“She has inspired me so much throughout my life and has supported me in everything,” Moreno said. “When they confirmed that I could get the scholarship, I ran straight to my house to tell her, and we celebrated all day.”

All in all, the new cohort is excited to embark on their university journey and become community-minded and involved leaders through the program.

“My biggest hope for the program, both professionally and personally, is to meet a lot of people. I think this program would be a really good way for me to meet a lot of people in a lot of different fields and areas in life,” said Channon Wilson, a Chemistry major. “This program is also a huge resource for me and the other members because of how it sets us up to be successful in college and whatever we decide to do after.”

– Story by Loukaia Taylor

– Photos by Susan Allen

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