Woodbridge High School senior George Wenson is a busy guy. He’s a three-sport athlete who is ranked No. 2 in his class and does acting and theater on the side.
There wouldn’t seem to be much time for anything else. But Wenson finds time to pursue a particular passion: helping kids.
George volunteers each Saturday with Woodbridge Buddy Ball, a nonprofit that offers special-needs children the opportunity to participate in soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming and bowling.
He participates in the school district’s STARs program, mentoring middle-schoolers who need a little boost.
And he volunteers for Kids-in-the-Park, a summertime theater workshop for elementary school children in Woodbridge and Perth Amboy.
“It always feels good to help someone, especially kids,” Wenson said.
That spirit is why George is this year’s recipient of the Marisa Tufaro Memorial Community Service Scholarship. The $1,000 award is bestowed in memory of Marisa Tufaro, a 13-year-old Edison resident who died in 2017 after complications from a heart transplant developed into a rare form of cancer.
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation helps children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area, and George’s service work aligns perfectly with that mission.
“He’s an amazing young man,” said Dan Taylor, director of Woodbridge Buddy Ball. “He’s involved in so many things outside of Buddy Ball, but when he comes to Buddy Ball he’s a tremendous help to me. He has a very kind heart. He becomes friends with the kids and puts a big smile on their faces.”
Wenson recruited Woodbridge High’s entire National Honor Society to participate. He was inspired by the positive affect Buddy Ball had on his older brothers Kevin and Kenny, both of whom have special needs.
“You’re opening a door to a part of life they might otherwise miss out on,” he said.
As a mentor with the STARs program, he shares his study tips with middle-schoolers and impresses on them the importance of getting good grades. This year he helped one eighth-grader make a complete 180-degree turn academically.
“We really made a connection,” George said.
One Woodbridge administrator who wrote a letter of recommendation on his behalf said Wenson “stands out as one of the most promising and inspiring students I have come across” and said Wenson “displays a unique understanding, maturity and compassion for others.”
A varsity athlete in soccer, swimming and volleyball (for which he was team captain), Wenson found time to log more than 300 service hours. He recently received the 2019 Mayor’s Youth Volunteer Award for Excellence and Dedication to Community Service from Woodbridge Township Mayor John E. McCormac.
“I’m amazed at what he does,” his father Erik Wenson said. “He’s quite a remarkable individual. We are very proud of him.”
In his scholarship application, George explained it this way:
“It doesn’t make me popular. It doesn’t earn me money. I met my high school’s service hours commitment a long time ago. But there are a lot of people who spend a lot of time complaining and saying, ‘Someone should do something to help!’ I can answer, ‘I am, and I have the smiles to prove it.’”
What’s next? He’s been accepted into Rutgers University’s Honors College and will study Materials Science and Engineering. No doubt he’ll continue to look for ways to mentor kids.
His advice for others interested in pursuing a similar path?
“Start small, because that’s where the difference is,” he said. “Every small change helps the world.”
Award-winning journalist and adjunct professor Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press, who co-chairs The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s scholarship committee, authored this story. 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, Jerry has won numerous awards from the New Jersey Press Association for his news columns and sports writing.