The Ridge Alumni Memorial Scholarship selection committee has named RHS senior Jeremy Baum recipient of the $6,000 Ridge Alumni Memorial Scholarship for 2011. Congratulations to Jeremy, who has demonstrated exceptional character and determination at Ridge High. Best wishes from Ridge AMS for great success at the University of Miami this fall.

Here are excerpts from Jeremy’s essay:

“Drop AP European History.”

As these words resonate in my head, I think one thing: NO WAY. I CAN DO IT.

For the next 11 weeks, I receive home instruction (Honors Physics, AP Government, Macroeconomics, AP European History). Enduring one hour of each of these subjects is hard enough, but enduring the lecture with acute abdominal pain and limited energy is nearly impossible. I have to work furiously to keep up on lessons that my fellow students are learning on a daily basis. But I persevere.

My whole world does not revolve around academia. I devote all my remaining energy to enhance the lives of my fellow “Crohnies.” For the next few months, I begin to raise funds for a Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America Charity Walk. My original goal is $1,500 but within weeks I raised over $4,000. I am enthused to receive notification from the CCFA stating that I have been inducted into the Loud and Proud Club: an exclusive club for individual participants who raised over $1,000. Expecting only a handful of my friends and family to walk with me, I am exhilarated to walk alongside 40 of my dedicated peers. In addition to fundraising, I work on Road to Recovery, a program I initiated to collect books for hospitalized children at Morristown Memorial Hospital.

94th percentile on the ACT’s, B+ final grade in AP Euro, a 4 on my AP Macroeconomics exam, 3.6876 GPA, $4,000 for the CCFA and plenty of new reading materials for hospitalized children: JUNIOR YEAR IS A SUCCESS. Now, as I journey through my senior year in high school and prepare for college, I feel healthy, invigorated and renewed. I am confident that I can accomplish great things during my college years. I persevere.

If I received this scholarship, I would use the funds to help offset the costs of college and various medical expenses that come with having Crohn’s disease. As a college student, I hope to educate my peers about Crohn’s Disease and continue my efforts to raise money for Crohn’s disease research.