Monroe’s Liebenthal receives Tufaro Foundation GMC Student-Athlete Scholarship

Gennyka Liebenthal of Monroe Township High School has been named a recipient of the 2018 Marisa Tufaro Foundation Greater Middlesex Conference Student-Athlete Scholarship.

A total of four recipients, including three others who were announced last week, were selected from an outstanding pool of applicants.

The scholarship is funded through donations made to The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, a tax-exempt nonprofit Marisa’s parents, Cyndi and Greg, established in their daughter’s loving memory to help children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

The scholarship rewards Greater Middlesex Conference varsity student-athletes for their performance on the field and in the classroom, for their community service and for their ability to overcome challenges.

Those eligible for the scholarship were required to pursue their aspirations with passion, integrity, character and respect for others.

Gennyka, an All-Conference selection in girls soccer and the reigning Central Jersey outdoor track and field champion in the javelin who recently qualified for the prestigious Meet of Champions, will continue her academic and soccer career at Kutztown University, where she plans to major in biology.

She is a four-year letterwinner on the pitch, as well as in outdoor and indoor track and field. Gennyka excels in the classroom, having made the the Principal’s List as an honor roll student while taking honors level courses.

“Gennyka is genuinely the kind of student that an educator and coach can only dream of teaching,” a member of the Monroe Township High School staff wrote in a letter of recommendation on Gennyka’s behalf for the scholarship. “(She) has a work ethic that is unmatched thus far in my teaching tenure. Not only have I come to find Gennyka to be an intelligent young lady, but she also has proven herself to be a kind, respectful and welcoming student to her peers, teachers and coaches. Perhaps the most impressive attribute Gennyka holds as a student-athlete is her compassion for others. Gennyka has been committed to helping her peers and the Monroe Township community throughout her time at our high school.”

Gennyka’s community service includes volunteering as a “Falcon Pal” to assist special needs students and volunteering as a soccer coach for students with physical disabilities. She was one of 16 students selected from a pool of 80 applicants to partake in the high school’s Teen Peer Educator Program, serving as a role model for the freshman class. Through the school district’s Heroes and Cool Kids program, Gennyka teaches middle schoolers about sportsmanship and making good choices. She has also volunteered with her youth ministry, making and serving lunches to the homeless.

Greg Tufaro, a sports writer for the Home News Tribune, and Frank Noppenberger, executive director of the Greater Middlesex Conference who serves on The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s board of trustees, presented the scholarship to Gennyka at the high school on Monday, along with a commemorative plaque and a bouquet of flowers.

Principal Robert Goodall, athletics director Greg Beyer, girls soccer coach Peter Ruckdeschel, track and field coach Chris Jessop, throws coach Mark Stranieri attended the presentation.

Last fall, Gennyka tore the lateral collateral ligament in her knee during a pivotal game against eventual conference tournament champion Old Bridge. She played through the injury, which ultimately sidelined her for more than two weeks, to score the winning goal in overtime. Gennyka rejoined her teammates and ended the season as Monroe’s leading scorer for the second consecutive year.

“I didn’t know how severe it was until after it happened,” Ruckdeschel said. “While she was out, she was a presence on the sideline. I don’t like using the term leader for her, because she’s beyond that. She’s a role model and she’s everything that I would embody in a player, and an athlete and a student.

“Seeing how she is on the field, seeing how she is in class, she makes everybody around her better. I’m proud to have her as a player and know her as a person.”

In the essay she wrote accompanying her scholarship application, Gennyka connected with Marisa Tufaro’s story.

Marisa Tufaro, who would have been a freshman at Edison High School this year, died last year after complications from a heart transplant developed into a rare form of cancer, to which she succumbed following a valiant fight.

She was born with a complex cardiac defect that required six open-heart surgeries. Despite keeping hundreds of doctor’s appointments and being hospitalized for more than two years, Marisa lived a vibrant life that inspired.

Marisa was an honor roll student at Herbert Hoover Middle School and James Monroe Elementary School, where she served as student council vice president and was involved in numerous extracurricular activities.

The foundation is honored to be able to give back through its annual scholarship to the Greater Middlesex Conference, which has been among our nonprofit’s biggest supporters.

We are grateful for the role the league’s student-athletes play in assisting Middlesex County children and others in need.

Our foundation, established less than 10 months ago, has already made a profound impact. Through the generosity of our supporters, we have …

• Collected thousands of toys for pediatric patients at Saint Peter’s University Children’s Hospital and Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital.
• Funded the purchase of brand new metal bunk beds for campers at Kiddie Keep Well Camp, which serves more than 600 underserved Middlesex County children annually.
• Supported instruction and supplies for an art therapy program at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital, to which the foundation also provided funds for infant mobiles, toy cars staff use to transport children to the operating room for surgery and bubbles to be included in welcome bags.
• Provided money for equipment and supplies for students with disabilities who utilize the Lakeview School’s newly constructed aquatics center.
• Provided medical alert bracelets to children with autism and pediatric patients with chronic illness who receive outstanding care from Children’s Specialized Hospital, which annually serves more than 34,000 children statewide.
• Partially funded the Make-A-Wish of a Middlesex County boy who is winning a battle with high-risk neuroblastoma.
• Provided physical therapy at Special Strides Therapeutic Riding Center and Project Walk for Middlesex County children whose families do not have health insurance or whose families’ health insurer does not cover the cost of the physical therapy.
• Raised money and collected nonperishable food items to benefit Middlesex County children and their families through Hands of Hope via our foundation’s participation in the Race to Outrun Hunger.
• Provided meals and goods for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Central Jersey.
• Assisted families whose children are in medical crisis, providing financial support through the payment of medical and/or personal expenses to help lessen the burden of parents who have lost wages while spending time at the hospital.
• Partnered with James Monroe Elementary School to fill “Weekend Snack Bags” for pediatric patients and their families.
• Conducted a coat drive for Middlesex County children.
• Provided gift cards for pediatric patients and their families.
• Provided scholarships for Middlesex County students.