Sayreville High School senior Barry Muller always knew a thing or two about helping younger kids. For as long as he can remember, he’s lent a hand to 11-year-old brother Brandon, who has dyslexia and ADHD.

“I’ve been helping him out with his reading, his math, even playing basketball and playing video games,” Barry said. “I enjoy trying to help him. My brother is a very happy kid, always with a smile on his face, even with his struggles. He tries his hardest.”

That attitude inspired Barry to extend his helping hand beyond his household. Over the past several years he’s become deeply involved in Sayreville’s Special Olympics Unified Sports, mentoring special-needs kids through activities ranging from basketball, soccer and track to swimming and weightlifting. Despite a busy schedule of juggling schoolwork, being captain of Sayreville’s boys bowling team, and coaching second- and third-graders in hoops with the Sayreville Athletic Association rec league, Barry always finds time for his Unified buddies.

“I wanted to go into Unified sports to see how I could help those kids,” Barry said. “It’s so rewarding to help them. They work their tail off and they’re so happy.”

Muller’s dedication is why he 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’m very thankful,” Muller, who is headed to Rider University in the fall and plans to major in accounting, said of the scholarship. “It means a lot to be able to join a list of people who really make a difference in the community. I’m going to continue to try to be the best person I can be and make a difference.”

He’s done that in various parts of the community, tutoring special-needs elementary-school students after school, participating in food and clothing drives through his youth group, and volunteering to work Vacation Bible School through his Catholic church at St. Bernadette Parish in Parlin.

Gina Nugent, who is Sayreville High School’s Unified Sports adviser, said Barry’s “attitude and motivation for success are outstanding” and lauded his time management skills in balancing all these endeavors.

“Not only is he well-respected by all of his teachers,” Nugent said, “Barry is also highly respected by many of his fellow peers.”

Scott Fisher, who taught Muller in honors chemistry at Sayreville High School, said Barry “is a very caring person, thinking about the needs of other people over his own” and “he always seems to know what to say to make a person smile.”

All of that was on display this past year while Muller was coaching basketball in the Sayreville Athletic Association. He had two special-needs kids on the team, and he made sure they got as much playing time as everyone else. The two kids loved it – and so did their teammates who learned a valuable lesson about the power of inclusion.

That epitomizes a message Muller wants to share with his peers: “It’s very important to help people, to give back and help make people’s lives better any way we can.”