Two very hard-working, high achievers were selected as the 2012 recipients of this year’s Dewey Degree Scholarship, and it was their work ethic and self-motivation that brought them to the forefront of this year’s candidates.
Julia Zenker is the daughter of Deborah Lass and Drew Zenker. She is a graduate of Port Jervis High School and is currently attending Wagner College in Staten Island, majoring in Philosophy and Spanish, in pursuit of a law degree. She is a member of the National Honors Society and her transcripts display a straight-'A' student with a 3.957 GPA that has kept her on the Dean’s List for all semesters.
Zenker volunteers her time in a variety of ways. She has tutored at El Centro del Inmigrante in Staten Island, mentored at Generation Citizen in Manhattan and spent her spring break volunteering in Port Au Prince, Haiti. She has also interned at the African Refugee Center in Staten Island and the law offices of Bavoso, Plotsky and Onofry in Port Jervis.
Her involvement in harness racing is as impressive as her scholastic achievements. Since she was 10 she has spent her summers working with horses for top trainers like Mark Ford, David Stratton and Ray Schnittker. For the last two years she has divided her summer days between being a full-time exercise rider at the Schnittker Stable and parade marshal at Goshen Historic Track.
Zenker has a personal goal to open a non-profit horse stable that would offer low income, urban students the chance to learn alongside some of the industry’s leading professionals. The idea would be to foster interest in the sport and highlight what the industry has to offer, not only as entertainment, but also as a career choice.
Veronica Fanning is the daughter of Moira and Tom Fanning. She is a graduate of Jackson Memorial High School and Ocean County College. She will be attending Rowan University to major in Liberal Studies-Humanities and Social Science. Her goal is to earn a degree in education, focusing on early education. She has a 3.423 GPA and was accepted at every college she applied to for transfer.
A common description about her among the submitted references was 'positive, committed and responsible.' Fanning describes the admiration she has for her parents' success being self-made through their academics, determination and hard work as the driving factor to becoming successful herself.
While attending college full-time over the last two and a half years, Fanning has worked a full time job to help offset the cost of her education. In addition to that, she has always worked in her father’s stable in many capacities and is a familiar face at most tracks on the east coast. She has also attended virtually every Hambletonian since she was born.
Fanning is a lifelong resident of New Jersey and is aware of the significance of harness racing there. As a teacher, she plans to remain in the Garden State and hopes to educate her future students about the importance of horses, both in the roots and history of the state as well as their current economic impact.
Julia Zenker and Veronica Fanning will receive their cheques in a trackside presentation at Tioga Downs on Sunday, August 26, 2012.
The Dewey Degree Scholarship is funded through the generosity of Ray Schnittker and Jeff Gural, and is facilitated by the Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association. The fund is named for the Hambletonian champion trotter, Deweycheatumnhowe.
You can view previous recipients of this award by clicking this link.
(USHWA)