Freed, a senior at Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, PA, was chosen from more than 300 applicants who submitted essays about their contributions to society.  After narrowing down the applicants to five qualified finalists, an interview with representatives at CURE yielded the winner.

Freed focused his essay on organizing benefit concerts that raise money for charitable organizations such as tsunami relief and, more recently, the Marrow Foundation’s “Time is of the Essence” fund.  

“When I am doing community service and organizing events, my goal is to help people, make people happy, and in the case of raising money for special causes, save lives,” Freed said.

 Glenn Cowen, director of instrumental music at Cheltenham High School, said Freed is a “remarkable young man with an extraordinary work ethic and a devout passion for music making.”

Freed ranks tenth in a class of 430 students, holds the position of president and captain of his marching band, editor-in-chief for the school newspaper and is master of ceremonies for his school talent contest.

In addition, the teen is a finalist for the Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and mentors young clarinetists and saxophonists.  Freed has already been recognized with various awards, including the Union League of Philadelphia Citizenship award, The Cheltenham High School “Student of the Month,” and the Teacher and Parent (TAP) Student Award. 

Freed is a gifted, intelligent young man with the integrity and heart to touch the world, as well as the intelligence and organizational skills needed to achieve what he sets out accomplish, Cowen said.    

The four other finalists include: Andrew Brake from Morrisville High School, David Karas of Notre Dame High School, Joshua Suslak from West Windsor-Plainsboro South High School and Kimberly Critelli from The College of New Jersey. Each student will receive a plaque to commemorate their hard work and $1,000 from CURE for textbooks, as well as other gifts.

CURE's co-founder and former New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Jim Sheeran was the inspiration behind the scholarship to reward today’s young leaders who have the ability to impact our society in the most positive way.  CURE hopes the program will provide an opportunity for one person to see their positive goals come true.

“This ‘Pay It Forward’ scholarship is awarded to those who have not only shown dedication to help those who are not in a position to help themselves, but it also goes to that individual with the intelligence, vision and intangibles to truly make an indelible mark on our society,” said Eric Poe, Esq. CPA, Chief Operating Officer at CURE.  “I congratulate Jordy and all of the finalists who made their goals of making a positive difference in our society a reality.”

CURE plans to “pay it forward” by offering the scholarship again next year.