There was a time growing up in East Brunswick, Jada Harris said, when her family needed some help as her single mom was in between jobs.

Jada never forgot the kindness of the community group that donated school supplies and goods from a food pantry, and throughout her time at East Brunswick High School, she endeavored to pay that goodwill forward.

“I remember my mom always talking about giving back and having gratitude,” she said.

Jada has given back in numerous ways. As a ninth-grader she made bracelets for Daisy Recreation, a special-needs summer camp for local kids. As a senior this spring, she crocheted 30 “plushies” – stuffed animals – for Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County, which is the nonprofit that had helped her family. And for the past two years she has volunteered as a tutor at the East Brunswick Public Library, teaching girls how to code as part of the library’s youth services offerings.

“Her volunteering has big impacts on the kids in our community,” said Sally Leung, the East Brunswick Public Library’s youth services librarian.

Harris’ wide-ranging impact is why she has been named the recipient of a 2025 Marisa Tufaro Memorial Community Service Scholarship.

Since its inception in July 2017, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated nearly $400,000 to fulfill its mission of assisting pediatric patients and under-resourced children throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

The nonprofit has also donated thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter jackets, baby supplies, school supplies and other items upon which it has placed no monetary value.

In addition, the foundation has awarded $37,000 in academic scholarships to 51 inspirational high school seniors and sent 31 elementary and middle school students to a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Museum.

Born with a complex cardiac defect, Marisa Tufaro survived six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant before succumbing to a rare form of cancer in 2017 following a valiant battle. She was just 13 years old.

“I am so honored and humbled to receive the scholarship, and so grateful that this money will help me succeed in college,” said Jada, who is headed to Rutgers University in the fall, where she will major in computer engineering. “It really took a financial burden off of my family.”

The spark for Jada’s service project was East Brunswick High School’s annual “Butterfly Kindness Initiative,” which offers students $50 for performing a local act of kindness. In 2021-22, she handmade 55 bracelets “to remind Daisy Recreation participants that they are loved.” The bracelets featured a star in the center, “to remind each kid that they’re a star,” Harris explained.

“The director, she was so touched by it, she asked me to work the summer camp with them,” Harris said. “I became a camp counselor and it was really rewarding, seeing how I could help create a safe space for children with special needs, where they could have fun without being judged.”

Then came the plushies. Each one took between two and four hours to make and were distributed with personalized cards through Jewish Family Services.

“It was very gratifying to know that they had helped me, and now I’m in a better place and I can help other families,” Jada said.

As for the library and her work in instructing for the Girls Who Code Club, “I wanted to help more girls learn that tech is accessible to them, and it’s not something that should be feared,” Jada said.

“I couldn’t have run the Girls Who Code Club without Jada’s help,” Leung said. “She is very patient with the kids and good at making them feel comfortable, and always maintaining a helpful attitude.”

A well-rounded student, Harris also plays the violin in East Brunswick High School’s orchestra.

“Jada has shown a deep sense of community and service,” orchestra director Arvin Gopal said. “Her ability to balance these commitments while maintaining a high level of achievement in all areas is a testament to her time management skills and her desire to give back to her community.”

That high achievement included scoring the maximum of 5 on the Advanced Placement Italian exam.

Imma Spagnuolo, who teaches Italian at East Brunswick High School, calls Jada “an extraordinary young woman” who “approaches life with an open mind, positivity, and kindness.”

That’s a legacy Jada Harris hopes to leave with her peers and everyone she’s helped.

“Giving back is the single-most important thing you can do,” she said. “The things people remember about you is how you made them feel. To make someone’s day a little brighter, it not only helps someone else, but it also helps you and makes you more appreciative for what you do have and what you can give.

“Whether it’s a skill or your time or a just a smile – anything helps.”