Apr 23, 2009 7:15 pm US/Eastern
NJ H.S. Students Raise Big Bucks For College Kids
Alex Sonageri, Adam Schwartz Have Scraped Together $63,000 For Rutgers Students Socked By Tough Times
ALLENDALE, N.J. (CBS) ―
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Adam Schwartz, left, and Alex Sonageri, juniors at Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, N.J., have raised $63,000 for Rutgers students suffering financial strife.
CBS
Two New Jersey high school students are reaching out to struggling students. They've set up a scholarship fund to help Rutgers University students strapped for cash.
When high school juniors Alex Sonageri and Adam Schwartz aren't in school they're busy rubbing shoulders with corporate executives, convincing them to contribute to a scholarship fund for Rutgers students hit by sudden hardship.
Schwartz told CBS 2 HD on Thursday the duo has raised $63,000 in just the past year. Four students have benefitted, including a woman who almost dropped out of because of cancer.
"We're so proud of this. It's time to be able to help kids like this," Sonageri said.
Rutgers officials call the boys -- both students at Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale – remarkable because they've never seen high school students accomplish something like this.
"What we'll do is e-mail or send a letter to a business and if they agree we'll go in full business attire of course and give them a PowerPoint presentation," Sonageri said.
Added Schwartz: "They relate to us and they're eager to contribute, to help us because of the example we're setting."
Northern Highlands Regional High teacher Jennifer Gordon said what the two are doing is nothing short of remarkable.
"They're so modest. Not a lot of students know what they're doing and how much of an impact they have right now," Gordon said.
The boys both want to major in business and said Rutgers is on their list of schools.
And whatever ever college they choose, they say they'll never stop raising money for their cause -- a fund fellow students want to be a part of.
"But they don't realize how much effort it is outside of school," Sonageri said.
The boys said their goal is to raise $100,000 so they can endow the fund.
About 15 companies have contributed to the scholarship fund. Both the contributors and recipients want to remain anonymous.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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