Six eighth grade students attending Catholic elementary schools in the Diocese were among 14 recipients of the Presidential Scholarships awarded by Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft. The scholarships were presented at a recent ceremony to those eighth graders who scored exceptionally high on the academy’s entrance exam.

The six Catholic school eighth graders are: T.C. Taylor, Holy Innocents School, Neptune; William Hines, St. Catharine School, Spring Lake; Corey Zeitlinger, St. Jerome School, West Long Branch; and Andrew Sasso, Jason Gentile and Aidan Guinnessey, all from St. Leo the Great School, Lincroft.

The Presidential Scholarships are part of CBA’s expanding Scholarship Initiative, which began in 2012 to assist qualified students to attend the Lincroft school.

The Presidential Scholarship was created by the school’s first president, Christian Brother Andrew O’Gara, who made it his mission to make CBA affordable for any qualified student. Brother Andrew’s vision continues on with the Scholarship Initiative, as CBA now awards nearly 50 full and partial scholarships to deserving students.

One of the three Presidential Scholarships bears Brother Andrew’s name. The second scholarship honors St. John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, which has operated CBA since its opening in 1959. The third scholarship, the Founders’ Scholarship, is in memory of the three laymen academy founders: John Henderson, Peter Fleming and Dr. George Sheehan.

The academy awards a combined $1.5 million in scholarships and financial aid to its current students.

“We congratulate all the winners of the Presidential Scholarships,” said CBA president Christian Brother Frank Byrne. “These Presidential Scholarships are each named after individuals who have a significant connection to the work we do at CBA. The students who received the scholarships have demonstrated in middle school that they are qualified to earn such an award.”

The ceremony also included an address by CBA junior Nicholas Hanlon, who had been awarded a scholarship as an incoming freshman.

Hanlon, who is now student council vice president, a member of the varsity track team and a school ambassador, said to the incoming freshmen, “You have proven that you are prepared to take on the CBA challenge. There are so many academic opportunities for you here. And aside from academics, there are so many things for you to get involved in at CBA because of the great school spirit and our students’ ambition.”