With 84 applications from 21 schools, the Burlington County College Scholarship award is growing more competitive each year.
As of 2009, the award has been named in honor of Joe Laufer who passed away in 2014 at the age of 79.
Laufer dedicated his life to volunteering and educating. He worked at Rowan College at Burlington County for 27 years in various academic and administrative roles, including associate dean for business relations.
He also served as a township committee member for Southampton Township and was a greatly respected man in the county.
The Burlington County Volunteer Center originally gave $1,000 in college scholarship awards to volunteers in the area who made a difference. The organization was then contacted by the Haines Family Foundation out of respect for Laufer, and with its help, the award grew to $7,500 the following year.
Now with the help of this family and the funds the organization receives from the Joe Laufer memorial fund, the award has grown drastically, and this year it has given $25,000 to four students in the area.
“Going forward, we hope to find another foundation to help with the funding because it is growing increasingly more difficult to narrow down the applications to such a select few winners,” said Michael Pippen, coordinator at the Volunteer Center of Burlington County.
Among the group of four winners from the 2015 class was Shawnee’s own Katie O’Rorke.
“I was very excited to receive the award. I know there are many students who do important volunteer work in our county, so I am very happy to be one of the students selected,” O’Rorke said. “I know that Mr. Laufer was an amazing volunteer in our area and contributed to his community in many ways, so to receive his award is a great honor.”
Volunteers in the area may recognize the name O’Rorke, as Katie comes from a family who is heavily entrenched in the volunteering community. Katie is the second of the O’Rorkes to win this award; her brother Matt took home the scholarship money in 2013. Matt is also very involved in volunteering and worked with many of the charitable organizations with which O’Rorke worked.
Matt created the Medford Students March Against Hunger many years ago. The march provides thousands of pounds of donations each year to benefit the Food Bank of South Jersey. O’Rorke knew when Matt left for college that she would be taking over the campaign because so many people in need benefit from it, and now that she is leaving for college, her younger sister Caroline plans to take the reins.
O’Rorke will also be following in her brother’s footsteps attending Penn State next year; Matt is a junior there.
“I come from a family of volunteers, so I feel volunteering is part of who I am,” O’Rorke said.
Growing up, O’Rorke’s family was always involved in some type of charitable drive or event to raise funds for important causes. O’Rorke is especially captivated by causes that benefit children, animals and the hungry.
Her family has always helped local animal organizations, collecting donations over the years for the Food Bank of South Jersey, PAWS farm, Woodford Cedar Run and Burlington County Animal Shelter. They even adopted a homeless dog from New Orleans who was very sick after Hurricane Katrina.
“I’ve been brought up to believe that every person can make a difference in their community in some way,” O’Rorke said.
O’Rorke has used her talents as a dancer to voluntarily teach younger students, as well as perform at charitable events.
As part of the criteria to apply for the Joe Laufer College Scholarship Award, students must be recommended by one school official and one non-school community leader.
O’Rorke’s recommendation letters came from all over. She received letters from the organizations she volunteers with, several principals from the schools that participate in the Medford March Against Hunger, her elementary school principal while she was at Chairville, Richard Lacovera, and Sherry Weinberg, who was her principal at Taunton Forge Elementary School.
“I also believe the Community Volunteer Director from the Food Bank of South Jersey submitted a letter of recommendation for me,” O’Rorke said. “Everyone appreciates the volunteer work and are always very supportive of the campaigns.”
O’Rorke is excited for the new opportunities that await her at Penn State University.
Having been there many times to see her brother, she is familiar with the campus and has always loved it. She’s also attended the Penn State Lionettes Dance Camp for many years.
“Penn State has an excellent academic program and the football games are a lot of fun! It had everything I was looking for, and it already feels like home,” O’Rorke said.
While double majoring in psychology and environmental science, O’Rorke plans to continue dancing at Penn State. She also plans to get involved in service organizations and would like to get involved with Penn State’s THON, the largest student philanthropy group in the world which benefits pediatric cancer patients.
“I have attended THON weekend at Penn State for several years. It’s an amazing event, and I am looking forward to attending it this year as a student,” O’Rorke said.
Being involved in so many different organizations and clubs at such a young age leaves O’Rorke with countless choices of roads to travel moving forward.
“Right now, I am interested in so many different areas that I am not exactly sure what career I will wind up in. My dream job would be something that involves helping animals, children and the environment,” O’Rorke said.
The four winners for this year — O’Rorke, Carolyn Bresnahan from Cinnaminson High School, Charles Castillo from Seneca High School and
Kacie Stettner from Bordentown Regional High School — will be given their awards at the Burlington County Library main branch in Westampton on July 29 at 4 p.m. Members of both the Laufer family and Haines family will be in attendance.
To apply for the 2016 Joe Laufer Scholarship award, visit www.volunteercenterburlingtoncounty.org.
