Mary Elliott Wislar Memorial Scholarship

Granted annually to a graduating resident of Mercer County who is going on to post-secondary education.

Mary Elliott’s grandparents settled in Idaho having arrived by covered wagon. She spent many summers on their ranch where sheep were raised. She learned at an early age that education was important — lamb prices were fickle!

An honors graduate of Stanford University, where she also played field hockey, Mary moved to Princeton, New Jersey, when she married Edwin Wislar. Her six children all benefited from good educations, with three going on to receive Master’s degrees. She dedicated much of her adult life to insuring that learning opportunities were available to young people.

Much of Mary’s free time was devoted to supporting her children’s schools, especially the Newgrange School which her youngest daughter attended and where Mary served as Board President from 1982 to 1984. Following her untimely and unexpected death in 1987, at age 57, Newgrange established the Mary Elliott Wislar Library Collection to encourage reading among the school’s students.

The Mary Elliott Wislar Memorial Scholarship is administered through the Princeton Area Community Foundation.

Award:

One scholarship recognizing leadership will be awarded annually

Eligibility:

The applicant must be a graduating high school senior who resides in Mercer County.

This is a competitive scholarship, and the recipient will be selected based on leadership, financial need, achievement and character. It is very important that the student has exhibited leadership in their school, extra-curricular and/or community activities in preparation for making a positive contribution to their future communities.

Application Guidelines, Due Date and Award Notification:

• Download application form (available as a Word document or PDF file)
• Submit the completed application and all required attachments to the Princeton Area
• Community Foundation at 15 Princess Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 by March 1.
• Award notification posted on Community Foundation website on April 15.
• The scholarship will be mailed directly to the institution where the student is enrolled on July 31.

Be Sure to Include:

• Application form with Wislar Memorial Scholarship checked in the box
• Student Aid Report (SAR) generated by FAFSA
• A copy of your college financial aid award letter*
• A copy of your acceptance letter from college or vocational school*
• A personal statement reflecting your leadership contributions
• Two letters of recommendation
• High school transcript
• Please note: Incomplete applications will not be considered.

* If unavailable at the time of application, these documents (just from the school you decide to attend) must be submitted to the Community Foundation before the scholarship funds will be awarded.