MTA of NJ Awards Scholarships

The Marine Trades Association of New Jersey (MTA/NJ) Foundation awarded three education scholarships to outstanding students pursuing careers in the marine industry.  The MTA/NJ Foundation was established to help promote boating safety and education and to raise funds for a new Education Scholarship to encourage education in the marine trades field.

This is the fourth year that the Association has been able to award scholarships to deserving students.  A $3,000 MTA/NJ scholarship was awarded to Dylan Giombetti.  Giombetti is graduating from Lacey Township High School in Lanoka Harbor and plans to pursue a degree in Business Management and follow the footsteps of his family and join their marina business, Silver Cloud Harbor Marina in Forked River.

In addition to MTA/NJ’s Education Scholarships, the Automotive Training Center in Warminster, Pennsylvania and Pennco Tech School, in Blackwood, New Jersey, sponsored full scholarships to their Marine Technician Programs.   The recipient of the Automotive Training Center scholarship was William J. Buff, V.   Buff is graduating from Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch and, after completing training, plans to pursue a marine technician career with the dream to own his own marina one day. 

The recipient of the Pennco Tech scholarship was George Kourmouzis.  Kourmouzis is graduating from Bridgewater-Raritan High School in Bridgewater.  He plans, after completing training, to pursue a marine technician career with the dream of opening his own shop in the future.

The MTA/NJ also awarded two outstanding student awards for the purchase of tools for the trade.  Edward Chaplauske from the Ocean County Vocational School and William Buff from the Monmouth County Vocational School were the two recipients of the awards.   Chaplauske is currently employed at Key Harbor Marina in Waretown.

“All of these young men have demonstrated their dedication to the future of the marine trades industry by incorporating studies of this field into their high school academics.” stated MTA/NJ Executive Director, Melissa Danko. “We congratulate them all for their efforts and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.”