Kaily, Nyssa and Oluwanifemi: Meet the 2022 Mayor's Honors Scholars at NJIT
Oluwanifemi Fuwa fabricated face masks to protect people from COVID-19.
Kaily Peixoto volunteered at a senior center and handed out scarves to homeless individuals at Newark’s Penn Station.
Nyssa Nixon volunteered at Isaiah House shelter through Jack and Jill of America and tutored peers as a member of the National Honor Society.
They did it all as high school students in Newark, even while achieving exceptional marks in class. And now each is embarking on her first year at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Meet the 2022 Newark Mayor’s Honors Scholars.
Now in its fourth year, the Mayor’s Honors Scholars Program awards full scholarships to three students annually based on academic and service accomplishments, particularly those who attend Newark public schools and have financial need.
Staying connected to the city
Awardees enter NJIT’s Albert Dorman Honors College — home to its top scholars — and participate in its City Leadership and Civic Engagement track, which connects students with opportunities to collaborate with city government through events, meetings, service projects and even internships. Participants are expected to maintain a 3.2 GPA and complete 30 hours of volunteer service each semester, half of which takes place off campus.
The primary purpose of the Mayor’s Honors Scholars is twofold: increase the number of Newark residents attending NJIT and catapult them into careers that raise their economic trajectory.
“It also helps us connect to the city more effectively, as there are lots of opportunities and talent here in Newark and we want to get to know both better,” said Burcak Ozludil, associate dean at Albert Dorman Honors College. “In addition, we help develop the next generation of leaders for Newark through the leadership and engagement program.”
Biology and engineering
As with most of their peers, the new Honors Scholars are still determining their majors. That said, Fuwa, who attended Weequahic High School, is interested in biology, Peixoto, of Technology High School, wants to study engineering and Nixon, from Arts High School, is focused on biomedical engineering.
Nixon and Peixoto already know their way around campus, as Nixon received five weeks of college prep from NJIT’s Educational Opportunity Program and Peixoto participated in the university’s Math Success Initiative. That program brings Newark high school students to NJIT during the summer and academic year to take classes and experience college life. Twenty-nine students participated in the latest session and nearly all earned admission to NJIT.
The initiative and the Mayor’s Honors Scholars are central to NJIT’s cultivation of its home city of Newark — one of the core missions of the university. Other programs include the federally funded Forensic Science Initiative and the Paul V. Profeta Foundation Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which offers paid fellowships and a startup studio for Newark residents. Both were unveiled last year.
Scholars through the years
A dozen scholars have earned a full ride to NJIT through the Mayor’s Honors Scholars Program since it began in 2019. Here’s a look at each cohort.
2022
Oluwanifemi Fuwa, Nyssa Nixon, Kaily Peixoto
2021
Joshua Dadzie, Oluwaseyi Ikujuni, Yorquiria Maldonado Mejia
2020
Okyere Boateng, Dequan Marshall, Priestly Ogbonna
2019
Samantha Augustin, Samara Augustin, Kiaja Jones
