Harrison Gilbert

Harrison Gilbert is in his senior year at Ramapo and is double-majoring in economics and political science. For the past two years he has been the student coordinator for the American Democracy Project on campus. In this role he has designed activities and worked with faculty and other students to promote civic awareness and service learning experiences. In the summer of his sophomore year Harrison participated in a study abroad course in Tianjin, China, where he also taught English. He participated in a number of summer internships in his home state of Michigan, and currently works as an intern for Compensation Resources in Upper Saddle River. He is a member of the Ramapo Outdoors Club, and the United Asian Association. He has earned a 3.63 grade point average.

Awarded Scholarships

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2009

Baer, Senator Byron M. Endowed Scholarship

The Baer Scholarship is named in memory of New Jersey State Senator Byron Baer.  In the early 1960s, Mr. Baer was a Freedom Rider and participated in the Selma to Montgomery March.  He was an advisor and friend to Martin Luther King, Jr.  Mr. Baer served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1972 to 1993 and in the State Senate from 1994 to 2005 representing the 37th District.  Mr. Baer was the primary author of New Jersey’s Sunshine Law and was an advocate for open government throughout his career.  At his death, his wife Linda and their daughter, Lara Rodriguez, sought a permanent means of honoring his memory and created this endowed fund with contributions from individuals and organizations throughout New Jersey who admired and valued his leadership.

Kraus, Becky and Frank Scholarship

Long-time Mahwah residents and Ramapo supporters Rebecca and Frank Kraus created this endowed scholarship in 1988. The purpose of the Kraus Scholarship is to recognize an upperclassman who is a campus leader. “We were both very much in favor of Ramapo becoming a part of the Mahwah community,” said Frank Kraus, who served as mayor of Mahwah in the 1980s. “The College has been great for Mahwah.”

Born in Czechoslovakia, Frank Kraus served in World War I as a lieutenant in the Republic Army. He then moved to Mulhouse, France where he earned a degree in Textile Engineering with the expectation of taking over his father’s textile business. While Frank was on a business trip to the United States, Hitler invaded Poland and Frank lost everything. In the U.S., Frank pursued a successful business career and was a tireless leader in the community until his death in 2003. He was president of the Mahwah Board of Health, a trustee of Valley Hospital for 12 years and member of the Board of Directors of the West Bergen Mental Health Center.

At Ramapo, Mr. Kraus served on the board of the Friends of Ramapo and received the Distinguished Citizens Award in 1995. Mrs. Kraus, a native of Raleigh, NC, was a professional artist and worked for Conde Nast and Vogue magazine and later devoted her talents to writing and illustrating children’s books. She was active with many non-profit organizations, including Ramapo College, where she served as a member of the Friends Board and as a major supporter of the Spiritual Center. She was active at the College for nearly 40 years until she passed away in 2015.