Becton Regional High School and Carlstadt Public School have joined efforts to honor former Class of 2011 alumnus Matthew Dickman by establishing a scholarship in his name.

Matthew Dickman was an amazing and strong person who was diagnosed with cancer at a young age. Unfortunately, he passed away leaving behind much grief to all his family and friends including Becton Administrative Assistant Mrs. Karyn Trause and her son Zackary, who are friends with the Dickman family.

“Matthew was an amazing young man whom we love and miss very dearly,” stated Mrs. Trause.

As Matthew continuously battled cancer for 13 years, he still tried to balance his daily life by attending school between treatments and chemotherapy. The Matthew Dickman Courage Award is a tribute to the courage, fight and hope that he had during this difficult time in his life.

The Becton administrative assistant wants students to know that the idea behind the award is to remind them to never give up hope no matter how difficult the challenge or struggle may be. The thought to create a scholarship came from Matthew’s high school history teacher, Mr. James Bononno.

The award will be given to a Class of 2019 graduate during the annual Senior Awards Ceremony at Becton Regional High School in June.

At the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, Becton Regional High School and Carlstadt Public School both hosted a $5.00 jean day for all faculty and staff as its first fundraiser. Furthermore, in December, a holiday gift basket was raffled off at both schools. The basket and its contents were donated by Secret Celebrity, a home decorating company that is located on 1431 Broadway in New York City.

Matthew’s family and friends have participated in and plan to continue to participate in walks to help raise money for cancer research. His family and friends want to make sure that every penny raised is going to something or someone who will benefit from it.

Matthew Dickman was an inspiring person to be around, and despite the obstacles he faced, he never gave up. His legacy continues to live on in the hearts of his family, friends and other lives he has touched, and he will forever be loved and missed.