Rick never looked for perfection but rather wanted each of us to be better versions of ourselves each day. This “practice makes progress” mentality defines Maia perfectly. Coach of the Women’s Varsity Basketball team, Dana Williams, shared this impressive statistic with the Foundation in her recommendation letter, “Maia’s commitment to improving everyday as a basketball player could be seen in her game stats throughout her career here at Lawrence High School. She scored 2 points her freshman year, 12 her sophomore year, 95 her junior year and an impressive 172 her senior year.”

Maia describes herself in five words: selfless, caring, responsible, respectful, and trustworthy which all contributed to her 4.2 GPA and National Honor Society status. Focused on projecting the “we over me always” mentality, Maia played basketball and lacrosse throughout high school and was the captain of her varsity basketball squad her junior and senior years.

Outside of school, Maia could be found volunteering at the Princeton YMCA, traveling with Operation Smile, and working at Wegman’s. Described as having a “non-stop work ethic,” Maia will take her $1000 scholarship and her insatiable spirit to Seton Hall University, Rick’s alma mater, this fall!

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Matthew is headed to Elizabethtown College with a 4.5 GPA to continue his swimming career.

In his application, Matthew stated that “although it was not required, he always made it a point to shake the hands of his opponents” and that is the attitude that my father loved. After all, we are all on one team, in the end. 

No matter what event, Matt was always game to participate and help his team out, even if it wasn’t his best stroke or type of race to compete in. He knew that it was more important to be a teammate than a star.

When asked which qualities of his were shared by Rick, Matt responded, “We both challenged ourselves, and others, to work hard, while putting our teams first.” Here is another example of how Matt understands that teamwork will always make the dream work!  Putting your team before yourself is something that not every athlete possesses, let alone celebrates, but here, honoring Rick, we are more than proud to highlight this.

We wish Matthew the best of luck as he dives into the pool of his next adventure!

With a 4.18 GPA and Varsity Soccer and Lacrosse letters in her rear view mirror, Shawne has the world at her disposal. While Shawne might have little to say, it quickly becomes “apparent her seriousness of purpose and her dedication to doing her best.” And doing her best is what Shawne does. From peer leadership to being the treasurer of Students Helping Honduras, when Shawne becomes involved in something, she dedicates her whole self to it. 

Now the Lawrence High School senior is heading to The College of New Jersey to continue her focus and purposeful drive to positively affect all that are around her and leave each new situation in a better place than before.

We are honored to announce that Justin Krisak has received the $1000 I WILL WAIT FOR YOU 2020 Scholarship this past June at the Lawrence High School’s virtual sports banquet.

Justin is driven in all of his pursuits, whether it is on the field or off. Five words that describe him are loyal, hardworking, resilient, passionate, and humble. These are all characteristics that my father valued in himself, others and most importantly me, his next generation. Justin, is not just about the next goal that he can score on the lacrosse field, he is also always focused on the next person he could take under his wing and share his love for sports with. With this commitment to others and his community mindset, we honor him with this award.

Congratulations once again, Justin, we wish you the best of luck this fall at Mercer County Community College next year!

Sarah Berardi named 2019 recipient of The Rick Salmastrelli Scholarship

Sarah as certainly left her mark on Lawrence Township over the last four years at the high school. From peer leadership to business council, Sarah has excelled in academics and sports thanks to her fabulous teachers and amazing coaches, but one thing that Sarah has developed on her own is her desire to nurture and mentor.

There was not one part of her application for the I WILL WAIT FOR YOU Scholarship that did not highlight her selfless attitude and giving spirit. In fact, when asked what her favorite memory was in her high school sports’ career, she reminisced about her team’s comeback against Steinert. “My teammate scored the only goal in the second half, but every single player worked so hard. I was so proud of our team that day…”

Sarah states that sports gave her confidence and helped her realize her strengths. She saw that a community could create wonderful progress and achievements when working together and focusing on the same goal. Sarah then took it a step further and realized that becoming a role model was the way to pay it forward. As coach Dana Williams said, Sarah “leads by example.” On and off the field, Sarah’s actions are no different. Whether she is playing attack on the lacrosse field or attending a student council meeting as president, her mind is always focused on positive progress. While she realizes that learning is unendingly enjoyable, teaching feels even better.

Sarah will begin her college career this fall at Rowan University where she will focus her studies on education as she hopes to be a teacher and a coach in the future.

Sarah has described herself as an inclusive and kind hearted role model and we couldn’t agree more! Congratulations again, Sarah Berardi!

Congratulations to Madison Miller, our 2018 I WILL WAIT FOR YOU: The Rick Salmastrelli Foundation Scholar!

Madison credits sports with providing her the structure she needed for continual self development. Through her play of field hockey and lacrosse, she was able to develop “discipline, work ethic and courage,” which undoubtably led her to her 3.5 GPA.

Madison’s embodiment of Rick’s values are clear in this one simple, yet profound, sentence from her application:

I consider myself a well rounded person, with plans to make not only myself a better person, but everyone around me as well.

It is clear that Madison’s biggest competition is herself. She doesn’t compare herself to others, but only wants to deliver 100% of what she can when she can. No matter if she is on the field, in the classroom, or by herself, you can expect nothing less than maximum effort and determination from our 2018 scholar.

Her connections with her peers are very important and recognizes that, when you are on a team, everyone has the chance to succeed. This has driven her to take on leadership positions on and off the field. One teacher described Madison as “a confident and effective leader…She is able to both listen and lead by example with everything she does. As a teacher, it is incredibly fulfilling to witness…” 

Madison will attend Rider University this fall. This future Broc will continue to be the ambitious and driven leader she developed into. We are beyond impressed with what this young women has done in her four years in high school and look forward to watching her take on Rider University this fall!

Congratulations to the 2017 I WILL WAIT FOR YOU: The Rick Salmastrelli Scholarship winner, Mark Turkowski!

With a 3.42 GPA, volunteer at the Lawrence High School student store, and an active member of DECA, Mark demonstrates the true definition of a team player. As a varsity basketball member and captain of the varsity lacrosse team, Mark embodied the true values of Rick Salmastrelli in this quote:

My absolute favorite memory as an Lawrence High School athlete [was] on May 11th of this year…It was my senior year and I wasn’t playing due to a season ending knee injury.

To us, it truly is impressive when an athlete selects his favorite memory to be one that he isn’t even on the field for.

Mark excelled in sports, especially at the game of lacrosse.  Joining the varsity squad his freshman year, Mark worked hard and challenged himself to be the best he could be on that field, but nothing prepared him for an injury that cut his high school career short.  The year, senior year, that is suppose to be the most glorious for any high school athlete, hit Mark with a ton of bricks when he tore his ACL and meniscus before the season even started.  A devastating injury for anyone, Mark took it in stride and figured out how to contribute to his team in any way and all ways he could.  He wasn’t going to let this get him or his teammates down!

Mark stated, “I have always believed that the assist was just as important as the goal,” a line my father often used with me during my high school sports career.  Mark truly practiced what he preached and everyone noticed.  From his teammates to his coaches and teachers, all recognized the might, strength, and compelling character Mark exemplifies. One teacher described Mark as “dynamic, forceful, energetic and [a] well respected leader,” while Coach Brennan, his Lawrence High School Lacrosse Coach, gave Mark the ultimate compliment when saying that, “Mark became a ‘player-coach.’ He was able to help his teammates by correcting mistakes and noticing things I may have missed.”

This hardworking and driven young man will attend Misericordia University in the fall. Congratulations, Mark, we are all big fans and cannot wait to see what you do in the next four years as a college athlete!

Tina Salmastrelli and Mark Turkowski

Tina Salmastrelli and the Turkowski Family

The motto of our 2016 I WILL WAIT FOR YOU: The Rick Salmastrelli Scholarship winner is:

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

We are proud and honored to award Matthew Stever with this year’s $1000 scholarship. A DECA member and future Montclair State University student, Matt has completed his high school career with a 3.5 GPA, AP courses, and years of community service with many organizations including the Lawrence Hamnett Association.

Not only has Matt been able to maintain a solid GPA and participate in varsity soccer and winter track and field, he has also had a job since 2015. We definitely selected a well-rounded individual for the 2016 scholarship, haven’t we?!

Matt Stever with Tina and Cristina Salmastrelli

Lawrence High Varsity Soccer Coach Keith Fithen summed Matt up perfectly when stating, “Heart can’t be measured in goals or assists, it can, however, be measured in the respect and admiration [Matt’s] teammates display to him.”

Self-described as “hardworking, persistent, driven, caring and courageous,” Matt Stever has a bright future ahead of him and we are proud to be a part of it. One of the best parts of moving on to college it the new batch of memories one will make, but in Matt’s case, I do not think they will be replacing those made with his friends, colleagues, and teachers during his tenure at Lawrence High School:

“My favorite [sports memory] would have to be during my senior night game for soccer. We played on Zimmer Field under the lights. I was not a regular starter for the team but because it was senior night, I got to start in the game. When the game started and I lined up, the student body started chanting my name. This is my favorite moment because it made me feel appreciated and happy.”

Thank you, Matt Stever, for becoming part of our journey at the I WILL WAIT FOR YOU: The Rick Salmastrelli Foundation. You sure have made an impression on us and, without a doubt, will continue for many years to come!

Good Luck this fall at Montclair State University!

Matt Stever with his proud parents