Mercer Times

The College of New Jersey's Alumni Association is set to honor four alumni for their contributions in various fields during the upcoming Alumni Weekend on April 20. The awards recognize achievements in service, leadership, philanthropy, and career advancements.

Angelica Lamartino, president of the alumni association board, expressed her pride in celebrating the honorees: “TCNJ alumni continue to do incredible work in our local, regional, and national communities.”

The recipients include Melissa Belmonte ’18 with the Young Alumni Award; Lori Alhadeff ’97 with the Humanitarian Award; Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson ’94 with the Alumni Service Award; and Assemblyman Alex Sauickie ’93 with the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Melissa Belmonte graduated from TCNJ in 2018 and has since been involved in public service. She works for the New Jersey Division on Women and is pursuing a PhD at Widener University. Her advocacy focuses on education access as a right for all.

Lori Alhadeff's humanitarian efforts began after losing her daughter in a school shooting. She co-founded Make Our Schools Safe and helped create Alyssa’s Law to improve emergency response times in schools. Alhadeff serves on the Broward County School Board.

Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson has dedicated over a decade to social justice causes and community service. She holds positions within various legislative committees and commissions while teaching public policy at Saint Peter’s University.

Assemblyman Alex Sauickie has had a successful career both politically and in business. He represents New Jersey's 12th Legislative District and has founded nonprofits like Chloe’s Causes. Sauickie is also recognized for his athletic achievements as an Ironman triathlete.

The award ceremony will take place at TCNJ’s R. Barbara Gitenstein Library Auditorium during Alumni Weekend on April 20 at 1:30 p.m., with registration available online.

Learn more about nominations at alumni.tcnj.edu/alumni-leadership-award-nominations.