Scholarship and challenge grant to honor Morgan

Christopher “CJ” Morgan

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A scholarship to honor Cadet Christopher Morgan has been announced by the West Orange Scholarship Fund, along with a challenge grant to raise funds for a permanent endowment. To take maximum advantage of the Challenge Grant, the WOSF is encouraging all West Orange residents and alumni to contribute to this effort as no contribution is too small.

Cadet Christopher “CJ” Morgan was an outstanding athlete and student, and a proud member of West Orange High School’s Class of 2015. Morgan was entering his senior year at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point when he was killed in a tragic training accident in June.

WOHS wrestling coach Stephan Zichella said about Morgan, “More important than Chris’ extraordinary accomplishments on the mat, he was someone that you could stand up in the front of the room and say ‘This is who you need to emulate. This is who you need to be.’ CJ just believed in the good in the world and everyone he encountered … and you saw it in everything that he did. CJ Morgan was a hero to so many people and an inspiration to all that knew him.”

The WOSF is the beneficiary of a West Orange Education Foundation challenge grant of $25,000. The WOEF will match dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000 any contribution received by the West Orange Scholarship Fund between now and Oct. 15.

“Chris was a special student; one that had a great impact on our building,” WOHS Principal Hayden Moore said. “He was a positive force that motivated us all to be the very best. I am proud to be a Mountaineer alongside Chris.”

To participate in the challenge grant, make checks payable to the West Orange Scholarship Fund — note “CJ Morgan” in the memo field — and mail them to: West Orange Scholarship Fund, c/o Jim Quinn, 23 Witte Place, West Orange, NJ 07052. Electronic contributions can be made by visiting the fund’s webpage on the West Orange Schools website at https://www.woboe.org/scholarshipfund and clicking on the special CJ Morgan donation button. Please note “CJ Morgan” in the special instructions section.