Our nonprofit is honored to announce award-winning journalists Jerry Carino and Keith Sargeant will once again co-chair the Marisa Tufaro Memorial Community Service and The Marisa Tufaro Foundation Greater Middlesex Conference Student-Athlete scholarship committees.

The Marisa Tufaro Foundation is grateful to all who are submitting scholarship applications. Deadline for applications is April 30. Scholarship recipients will be announced next month.

Since its inception less than seven years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has awarded $29,500 in academic scholarships to 42 inspirational high school seniors. Jerry and Keith have co-chaired the foundation’s scholarship committees each of the past six years.

Jerry received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Seton Hall University.

A veteran reporter who has won numerous awards from the New Jersey Press Association for his news columns and sports writing, Jerry has covered college and high school athletics for USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has authored news columns for the Asbury Park Press since 2014.

Jerry is also an adjunct professor of journalism and English at Kean University. He is a former adjunct professor at Rutgers and Seton Hall universities.

Jerry is best known throughout the Garden State as USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey’s men’s college basketball beat writer, having covered the Rutgers and Seton Hall programs for the past 17 years. He is also an Associated Press Top 25 poll voting member.

A native of Old Bridge and graduate of Madison Central High School, Jerry has experience as a scholarship chair, having previously served in that position for the New Jersey Sports Writers Association.

A journalist since his college days at Middlesex College and Kean University, Keith covered high school athletics, the Rutgers University football and basketball programs, and countless other sports for the Home News Tribune and USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey newspapers from 1997 until 2014.

From July 2014 through 2022, Keith covered Rutgers athletics for NJ Advance Media, the content company for NJ.com and The Star-Ledger. The dean of the Rutgers football beat, Keith covered thousands of games and big-picture topics surrounding the state university’s athletics program since 2000.

Keith recently garnered two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for his investigative reporting. Two years ago, the National Sports Media Association named Keith New Jersey’s best sportswriter. He was named NJ Advance Media Reporter of the Year in 2018.

Keith transitioned in 2022 from sports to news, where as an investigative report he focuses on government, public accountability, education, environmental issues and other topics for NJ Advance Media while still keeping an eye on Rutgers athletics.

Keith has family roots in several Middlesex County towns and graduated from Cedar Ridge High School in Old Bridge, making him and Jerry crosstown rivals.

Keith is involved in several community service initiatives in his Monmouth County community, including events involving recreation, the environment, and school volunteer programs.

Click here to learn more about The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s scholarship programs and to read feature stories about all our past recipients.