The annual scholarship program offers four, $2,500 scholarships to seniors at Cherokee High School each year.
The Marlton Business Association likes to use the term “Marlton-centric.”
Of all the ways the group of business owners gives back to the community, the one common theme is all its charitable endeavors revolve around helping the Marlton community in some way.
Whether it’s meals for low-income senior citizens in town, helping the police department’s K-9 unit or providing school supplies for a needy local family, the group ensures the $30,000 to $40,000 dollars it raises on average each year through fundraisers and member donations goes back to Marlton and its residents.
Of the MBA’s charitable projects, one of the biggest is its annual scholarship program, which offers four, $2,500 scholarships to seniors at Cherokee High School.
Last week, the MBA used a portion of its monthly lunch meeting to present this year’s chosen seniors with their checks, along with some words of encouragement.
Dave Scott, a member of the MBA board in charge of the scholarship program and president of the Laurel Oak Garden Center, said he’s been in a number of business associations throughout his years in business, but described the MBA as the best due to the ways it helps the Marlton community.
“It’s a great township, and a lot of our members either have a business in the town or live here,” Scott said. “With so many other business associations, the board members take salaries or they give money to national groups, but we don’t take salaries and the money goes right back into the community.”
With the MBA scholarship program, Scott said the MBA asks for students who represent the MBA’s core principles of bettering the community and exhibiting leadership skills.
For 2017, winners were Cherokee seniors Matt Antes, Michael McShane, Morgan Tencza and Jillian Zentar.
While Antes accepted his award at last month’s meeting, McShane, Tencza and Zentar were all on hand at last week’s MBA meeting at the Gibson House Community Center.
For Zentar, who said she’ll be studying music production at Rowan University, the scholarship will help her through one of Rowan’s newest majors.
“It’s going to help me to be able to promote my music and what I want to do in a new major, and it’ll also help others realize what the major is all about, because with this scholarship it will give me the opportunity to have more semesters at Rowan,” Zentar said.
For Tencza, who’s set to begin studying physical therapy for seven years at Quinnipiac University, said she was also thankful to have the scholarship with so many years of college ahead.
“I want to be able to help people, and this money is going to help me help others,” Tencza said.
McShane, who’s set to begin studying diplomacy at American University, said he’s always tried to exhibit the leadership qualities sought by the MBA, such as serving as class president.
“I’ve always been pretty proud to grow up in a town like Marlton where we have great camaraderie with sports and schools, and it’s an honor to receive this award for the people who make our town what it is today,” McShane said.
Those looking to learn more about the MBA or the ways it gives back to the community can visit www.marltonbusiness.com or attend one of the MBA’s luncheons usually held on the second Wednesday of every month or one of the group’s happy hours usually held on the last Thursday of the month.
