Aleksei Roschko, NJYS Contributor (Photo by Cos Lymperopoulos)
New Jersey Youth Soccer continues its celebration of the NJYS Annual Awards Presented by RWJBarnabas Health today, officially announcing Julia Klatt and Taj Turner as recipients of the 2023 Brett Fenster Memorial Scholarship. Each year, this scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who overcame a significant hurdle in their journey towards higher education.
This scholarship was created in memory of Brett Fenster, who played soccer from the age of five until he graduated from high school. He began participating in the recreation program in West Windsor before advancing to play travel and high school soccer. His love for the sport soon flourished, along with his interest in the arts and humanity. He tragically passed away in 2010 at the age of 23, at which time the scholarship was enacted.
From when he was five years old through his freshman year of high school, Taj Tuner shared the pitch with his best friend and cousin. The two were very close and just five months apart in age. At the age of 15 in August 2020, his cousin was diagnosed with bone cancer in his femur. Turner's entire world changed at the very instant of that diagnosis, but nothing hit him as hard as walking onto the soccer field for the first time without his cousin by his side. From that moment on, he tried his best to honor his cousin and make him proud with a focused determination to continually improve on the soccer pitch.
“Thank you for choosing me to be the recipient of the Brett Fenster Scholarship,” said Turner. “Through hard work mentally, emotionally, academically and physically, I have been able to overcome the last four years of hardship and defeat. It is an honor to receive this scholarship in helping me to realize that I cannot be sad that it is over, but live in the happiness that it happened.”
Julia Klatt began playing soccer at the age of five, and she has competed on multiple teams since she started. While fine-tuning her game throughout the years, Klatt says the greatest lesson she learned is how to channel her attitude. Whether it be dealing with a challenging scenario on or off the field, she always tries to make the best of each situation and use it to her advantage.
“It is an honor to be this year's recipient of the Brett Fenster Memorial Scholarship,” said Klatt. “I am grateful to have been playing soccer since I was five years old and for the people who have supported me throughout my soccer career.”
NJ Youth Soccer held its 2023 NJYS Annual Awards Dinner Presented by RWJBarnabas Health this past February, where many players, coaches and guests of the soccer community were on hand at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J. With more than 1,000 attendees, the event saw a capacity crowd in attendance for the annual celebration.
To find out more information about New Jersey Youth Soccer or to contact us directly, please email [email protected]. Also make sure to follow us on social media: @NJYouthSoccer