The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy has announced that the 2025 Ryan Patterson Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to Lillian “Lilly” Kupersmit.
The Ryan Patterson Memorial Scholarship was established in 2012 in honor of the late 27-year-old Metuchen Branch YMCA swim coach and mentor, Ryan Marie Patterson. The recipient must strive for excellence in academics, sports, or the arts. In addition, they must demonstrate that they have made an impact in their community through volunteer work, a service project or other means, live by the golden rule, have influenced others in a positive way and advocated for others who are less fortunate. The scholarship award of $2,000 can be used to fund the recipient’s higher education costs.
Lilly attended Metuchen High School, where she excelled in academics while achieving great success in her volunteer and extracurricular activities as well. While an outstanding student in both Honors French and English, she also participated on the Varsity Track and Cross Country Teams. Academically her teachers have described her as a “quiet powerhouse,” and a range of faculty remarked on her “genuine thoughtfulness” towards others and sincere dedication to any task she takes on. She cofounded the Metuchen Public Library’s Teen Writing Club, served as Vice President for the Executive Teen Advisory Board, and volunteered as a Homework Buddy tutoring middle schoolers. She gave time as a teaching assistant intern for a non-profit writing, where she served as an editor for their publications and taught poetry to middle schoolers. She earned the “Distinguished Writer of the Year” award as a sophomore and was a prize winner in the Women league of Voters "YVote" essay competition. As Director of Membership for Youth Voices in Action, she assisted that nonprofit in their work to increase civic engagement and knowledge among youth. A highlight of her high school years was being selected to serve on Congressman Pallone's Youth Advisory Council; for her legislative agenda, she drew on her personal experiences to write about the rationale for Applied Behavior Analysis to be provided in public schools.
In the fall, Lilly will be attending at Davidson College in North Carolina with plans to major in English. The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy is proud to support Lilly and her education, and looks forward to hearing more in the coming years about all she has accomplished.
