SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Ten of South Brunswick’s most prominent female leaders were honored with their life stories through the South Brunswick High School (SBHS) “Living Legacies: Lead Like a Lady” presentation.
A group of students from Jillian Trader’s honors public speaking and theater arts classes conducted interviews with various women in leadership roles and created speeches, monologues and poems to honor their dedication to the town.
“It teaches them about their community. It teaches them about the legacy of South Brunswick. It also gives a connection to other people in the community … so it is a really nice moment for the kids to get [close to] people who are so involved … and feel that special connection to their community,” Trader said before the students presented their findings to a crowd of about 45 people at the South Brunswick Senior Center on April 26.
Debra Johnson began her leadership path as president of her sixth grade class at Cambridge Elementary School and as a Sunday school secretary at her church. She graduated at the top of her class from SBHS. She served as the chair of the Election Committee and the Penn Senior Society at the University of Pennsylvania, and was the president of her class at the UCLA School of Law, according to student Sneha Naryanan.
Having originally immigrated from Jamaica, she returned to South Brunswick after college and became the first directly-elected mayor of South Brunswick. She worked as a judge. She also created the South Brunswick Women’s Commission.
“Debra Johnson left many marks on this town and its legacy … for years to come,” Sneha said.
South Brunswick Police Sgt. Tara Jairdullo has spent 20 years with the department, having been promoted to her current rank two years ago, the first female patrol sergeant in the department.
Student Pallavi Pathak said Jairdullo does not focus on her size or strength compared to her male counterparts, but instead focuses on being a great speaker in order to de-escalate situations.
She said she is able to balance her home and work life, caring for her husband who is a fellow officer in the department, as well as their five children.
“She believes her best title is ‘mom,'” Pallavi said. “Sgt. Jairdullo is the epitome of an independent and hard working woman.”
Susan Santowasso defines both leadership and compassion, according to student Matthew Ryan. The teacher and community volunteer grew up in Leonia but moved to South Brunswick in 1973. Her family has been part of the Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad and the Monmouth Junction Fire Department. Her husband was a police lieutenant in South Brunswick.
Santowasso has taken part in food drives, Earth Day cleanups and coaching cheer and softball, Matthew said. She is also the corresponding secretary for the rescue squad and a greeter at her parish.
She also helped plan two teachers’ weddings, making the cake, assembling the bridal parties and even having a choir sing.
She has gone so far as to teach etiquette to her students at a Broadway show, Matthew said.
“Her willingness to serve others distinguishes her as a true leader,” Matthew said.
To capture the accomplishments of Joanne Muscianesi, student Jordyn Sava presented a monologue, beginning with, “There will always be new projects in the world so why not give mine a voice?”
“I want to encourage people who live here to participate in the community,” Jordyn said in Muscianesi’s voice. “I think I can bring change to our community. No, I know I can bring change. And that’s what I’m going to do.”
Student Aadhil Ahamed Mohamed Sharfaj spoke of Christine Mariano, the director of the South Brunswick Parent Academy and the South Brunswick Municipal Alliance coordinator.
He said Mariano wanted to make life safer for her children, and in effect made it better for all children. The full-time Realtor believes in EPIC: Every Person Influences Children.
Kelli Kombat is described as a “true fighter” by students Lara Abdelmohsen and Kusha Krishna. The assistant vice president of Human Resources for L’Oreal believes in “beauty for all.” She was responsible for hundreds of supply chain employees in the division of Luxe.
The girls told the story of an employee coming into Kombat’s office with her facial features distorted. They said she was shaking her legs nervously, looking all around the room. They said Kombat read her non-verbal cues and assured her their conversation would remain neutral and confidential.
“A leader doesn’t just listen to what is being said, but listens to what is not being said – because what is not being said screams a much louder message,” the girls said.
When Kombat learned that the Clark plant of L’Oreal would be closed and her employees would lose their jobs, she took it upon herself to help them move on, Lara and Kusha said. Kombat organized career fairs, held workshops for resume reviews and interview skills, and helped connect them to new employers. The girls said 80 percent of those employees were relocated to other branches within L’Oreal.
Kombat also helped students from Queens create dreamboards, provided makeovers to women at homeless shelters, and plans to focus her energy on veterans next.
“Be open. Develop resillience. And finally, continue to respect each other,” the students said.
Azra Baig, a nurse and five-year South Brunswick Board of Education member, is also part of the South Brunswick Municipal Alliance and the South Brunswick Human Relations Commission while raising her two children.
She was part of her student council and served as president of the Pakistani Student Alliance.
Students Pooja Manhanraj and Nisha Patel called her a true “feminist” as she joined the Women’s March earlier this year, and holds the annual South Brunswick Women’s Leadership Conference and Career Pathways.
“She has not only inspired us to dream big and reach for the stars … [but she also] gives a voice to the minorities,” the girls said. “She feels leadership is the best way to give a voice to those who don’t have any.”
Karen Scalera has spent 27 years as the executive director of the South Brunswick Community Development Corporation, which oversees Oak Woods, Charleston Place and Citizens for Independent Living, helping seniors and the developmentally disabled find a safe and comfortable place to live, student Rohan Modi said.
She opened Oak Woods from the first shovel, Rohan said, and took on CIL Woods for the developmentally disabled, with her next plan to build 300 affordable living spaces in the future.
Rohan said Scalera taught him to maintain a healthy relationship with oneself, respect the decisions of everyone in a group and effect positive changes in the community.
Student Marcus James described LouAnne Wolfe as “a woman of hidden importance.”
Wolfe started as the social services director for South Brunswick in 1992, helping with the food pantry, bill support and holiday drives. She would advocate for hundreds of families who needed her services, which as a part-time position, were in danger of being eliminated. Marcus said Wolfe struggled with confidence, wondering if she could fight for the program.
“Never be afraid to try. Women and men can be whoever they want to be,” he quoted Wolfe as saying.
Student Liz Lavender spoke of Carole O’Brien moving from Algeria to America with aspirations of a higher education. She said O’Brien was not deterred when her brother told her she would never go to Yale because women could not attend college.
Living in Louisiana, Tennessee and New Jersey as a child, O’Brien eventually started her own home care business.
Liz said O’Brien is “not a dainty jewel” because “women are magnanimous diamonds.”
“I am a woman. I am a garden of the most vibrant and floral colors,” Liz said.
The project was dedicated to Jacqueline Rubel, an advocate and mentor in South Brunswick, who passed away in 2015.
Contact Jennifer Amato at jamato@newspapermediagroup.com.
