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Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in Educating Educators, Gahler Scholarship Continues to Fulfill Donor's Legacy

RBR celebrates the silver anniversary of the Catherine E. Gahler Scholarship which has financed the education of nearly 100 students and paid outover one million dollars in tuition.

This year, Red Bank Regional (RBR) celebrates a very special milestone, the silver
anniversary of the Catherine E. Gahler Scholarship. Established by an educator
for the purpose of educating teachers in the RBR community, the scholarship has
financed the education of nearly 100 students and paid out well over one million dollars in tuition over the past 25 years.

For 29 years, Catherine Gahler was a dedicated primary school teacher at Red Bank Primary School.  She never married or traveled. The product of three generations of farmers in Holmdel Township, she reportedly arose early to milk the cows on her family’s farm, and then she would travel a few short miles to the center of her universe, her third-grade students.  Described as a strict but loving teacher who expected the best of her students and received it, she established early and constant communication with their parents. Moreover, she was known to personally provide necessities her students lacked. Yet, that information was only privy to and reported by her best friend, Ruth Aumack, as Cathy Gahler, an intensely private person, shunned any recognition for herself.

It was not surprising then, that in 1988 at the age of 52, she delayed her cancer treatments until her students’ year had concluded. Sadly, Cathy Gahler never returned to the classroom, but she made sure that many other teachers would. Not long before her death, she sold her farm on Crawford Corners Road (later the site of an AT&T facility). As her immediate family had predeceased her, she established a trust to fund scholarships for the education of teachers in her adopted community to be managed by Red Bank Regional and administered by a scholarship committee. The criteria she created for the fund specified that recipients must be Red Bank residents who graduated from RBR and intended to enter the teaching profession or Red Bank  Boro School   District teachers seeking to advance their education. Additionally, she requested the scholarships be decided on academic excellence; any additional selection criteria were left to the discretion of the scholarship committee.  Based on what they determined
to be Cathy Gahler’s wishes, the committee further stipulated that recipients
receive teaching credentials and teach for a minimum of three years. Recipient
progress is followed by a student liaison employed by the committee. Three of
the original members, Margo Hoffman Lane, a former Red Bank Borough teacher,
Alexander James, a financial consultant, and John M. Walsh, an attorney, remain
on the committee to this day.

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It was reported that Donald D. Warner, RBR’s superintendent at the time, was expecting a few thousand dollars from the bequest. He was literally knocked over when the school district received nearly $3 million (in 1988 dollars!). For 25 years, the interest on $3 million financed the education of scores of Red Bank residents and teachers. 

Some examples include Eli Goldman, who graduated from The College of New Jersey and is now teaching underprivileged students in Philadelphia through Teach for America; Meghan Jones, who attended Notre Dame University and now teaches at Monmouth Beach School while pursuing a degree program in school administration; Kathleen Doherty, the current art teacher at Red Bank Borough Schools, who obtained her fine arts degree from NYU. She went on to pioneer a graphic arts curriculum and is an adjunct professor at Monmouth University.

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Another recipient, Anne Ramus Facendo, an English teacher at the middle school, recently became the principal of Thompson Middle School in neighboring Middletown.

She states of the scholarship opportunity she received so many years ago, “The Gahler Scholarship was one of the very first great things that happened to me in this field and had a profound impact.  It was like the little seed that kept growing.”

The scholarship enabled Mrs. Facendo to attend a life-changing week-long literacy conference, the foundation upon which she has created multi-sensory reading approaches for struggling learners in all 12 Middletown elementary schools. She is currently a presenter for that initial literacy program.

J.T. Pierson, a seventh grade teacher at the Red Bank Middle School, graduated from RBR and initially pursued the study of criminal law. Soon after, he decided that his desired vocation was education.

He states, “Without this scholarship, I would not have had the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in education and I am not sure where I would be today.”  He adds, “This scholarship is very special as it is directed to students from Red Bank. I can’t speak any more highly of what Miss Gahler has done for Red Bank students.”

Lynn G. Atkins is currently completing his doctorate in choral conducting at James Madison University. The Gahler Scholarship started his journey, financing his undergraduate degree at Westminster Choir College at Rider University and landing him his first teaching position of Vocal Music and Director of Choral Activities at Fisher Middle School and Ewing High School.

He comments, “The Gahler Scholarship helped me to become a fantastic teacher and musician….I will never be able to fully express how much I have benefitted, as well as other students, from receiving the gift left to the students of RBR by Ms. Gahler.”

Shelia T. Gooding, who became the first of her family to attend college and majored in health Wellness Education, is now the Director of Services of all programs designed to assist those with Developmental Disabilities in the state of North Carolina.

On the celebration of the scholarship’s silver anniversary, Shelia Gooding wrote, “My career has been successful as well as challenging and all made possible by my Gahler Scholarship.” She adds, “There is a Chinese proverb that describes Miss Gahler perfectly, ‘A teacher affects eternity, we never know where her influence begins or ends.’”

This year’s recipients of the scholarship include RBR graduating seniors Phoenicia Butler, Gemma Ciabattoni, Breanna Hartman and Laritza Lopez.  All agree that the scholarship, which totals $27,000 per year divided among the four, makes a substantial difference in their ability to afford college, especially at today’s exorbitant costs.

Pheonicia, a dance major in RBR’s Academy of Visual & Performing Arts (VPA), will be attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which offers a rare dance educator major. Pheonicia often functioned as a student teacher for her private dance company, working with the young dancers before their recitals.

Gemma, a VPA drama major, will be attending the University of Delaware to major in education. She states, “I loved the relationship I had with my RBR teachers and hope to bring that to my classroom someday.”

Breanna will be attending Wesley College in Dover. Her favorite class at RBR was the child development elective she took this year, student teaching the Little Buc Red Bank Regional Pre-schoolers. 

Laritza will be attending Brookdale Community College in the fall with hopes of transferring to Westchester College in Pennsylvania for her BA.

Over the years, the scholarship has provided well over a million dollars to fund the education of nearly 100 educators.  While Catherine Gahler never sought the spotlight, she is highly esteemed by a grateful Red Bank community and
those educators who exist today because of her largess. 

Upon the founding of the Catherine E. Gahler Scholarship, the RBR Board of Education proclaimed the following, “Miss Gahler lives in her choice to remember those who devote themselves to the work that was her life. Thank you, Cathy Gahler, for allowing Red Bank Regional students the priceless opportunity to sustain the timeless traditions of your chosen profession. May their ideals and generosity model yours.”

RBR Board of Education President, John Garofalo, a Red Bank resident comments, “We echo that sentiment and are ever appreciative to that amazing and wonderful lady, Catherine Gahler.”

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