Noellia Makridakis received a $1,000 from the ARJ Civic Association to continue her education at Rider University, where she will be a freshman in the fall.

Noellia, a 2015 graduate of Newark Tech, said he wants to study marketing and advertising and graduate summa cum laude from Rider.

"I believe that marketing tis my personality and interests," Noellia said. "I like to be very creative and figure things out with a creative point of view such as making advertisements or looking for ways to make a company stand out in social media."

Noellia, who was raised by her grandparents, said she always overcomes obstacles put in her way.

"I am resilient and I believe in myself," she said. "I try my best to fulfill my goals because achieving a goal is the best feeling in the world. I like to keep striving for the betterment of my future and go higher trying to get my family out of poverty."