EAST ORANGE, NJ — East Orange Mayor Lester Taylor and his wife, Bibi, said they plan to raise more money than last year for deserving East Orange Campus High School graduates at the second LT3 Foundation Give the Gift of Education Scholarship Breakfast on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Galloping Hills Golf Course in Union.
“Last year, we were able to raise about $60,000 to give scholarships to children from East Orange public schools going to Essex County College, where my wife, Bibi, is the (chairwoman) of the board of trustees,” the mayor said Thursday, Nov. 24, at the city’s Thanksgiving Luncheon in the Fellowship Civic Center. “So we’re gearing up for our second annual event. We gave out about a dozen scholarships to students from East Orange — full-semester scholarships. We paid for the full semester, for them to go to Essex County College, and we gave them money for transportation, for those who didn’t have bus fare.”
The Taylors said they’re investing in East Orange children’s higher education dreams because, as a family, they take education very seriously. They also said it’s simply the right thing to do and they believe in leading by example.
“We’re just doing that and we’re in the spirit of giving in East Orange and I know that a clean plus safe community equals a profitable community, but it’s one in which we need the support of Recreation and Cultural Affairs, but also to help build up a strong educational system,” Mayor Taylor said.
“Education is a paramount value that Lester and I both share and we also believe in the system of reciprocity, that to whom much is given much is expected, and we believe in giving back to our community,” Bibi Taylor said back in Dec. 5, 2015. “Education is a value that we believe every child should have the opportunity to have. … And just marrying both of our lives in public service to give back to our community is just of importance.”
According to Bibi Taylor, the Essex County College Board of Trustees is responsible for hiring the president and establishing the policies by which the college is governed. She said two-year community colleges, “provide an opportunity to provide an economical way for children to go on to higher education.”
“Oftentimes, what people forget is the cost of education is escalating, to the point that, based upon the economic gaps that exist within our society, people don’t get an opportunity to go on to college,” she added. “Community colleges provide and fill that gap, so (students) get quality education; they can earn an associate’s degree; and in the state of New Jersey, once you earn an associate’s degree, that entire credit load that you’ve earned gets transformed over to a four-year school. So it’s just the affordable route and plus Essex County College provides quality education, because we have faculty and staff that really care about our students and making sure they not only achieve … academically, but also are able to contribute overall to society.”
Bibi Taylor said community colleges are a prime opportunity for East Orange High School grads and other communities, too, adding, “We have a host of programs that are tailored to helping the entire community at large.”
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