Bergen Community College

Bergen Community College education student, Cristian Tenempaguay, of Hackensack, was awarded a $1000 scholarship from The Marilyn Weiner and Melissa Krieger Future Educator Fund through the Bergen Community College Foundation’s annual Scholarship Ceremony this past May. Tenempaguay’s education professor, Dr. Melissa Krieger, established The Marilyn Weiner and Melissa Krieger Future Educator Fund in honor of her late mother, Marilyn Wiener, to support an education student who shows financial need and is interested in becoming a classroom teacher.

“I feel honored and tremendously grateful that my hard work is being noticed,” said Tenempaguay, a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, who maintained a G.P.A. of 4.0 in his studies during the 2024-2025 academic year.

“With his level of academic achievement, dedication to becoming a teacher, and his moving essay, the scholarship committee selected him as the winner,” said Krieger. “He was the perfect candidate for this scholarship, and I am so glad the scholarship committee selected him!”

“Crossing paths with Dr. Krieger has been a blessing,” said Tenempaguay. Crediting Krieger, he has set his career goals on teaching and expects to graduate in 2026.

Krieger said, “I had financial need during my own studies and wanted to create a fund to help students like me.” Krieger’s mother, Weiner, had raised her on her own as a single mother. Although there were difficult times, Krieger recalled how she received funding to pay for college and how it helped her pursue her degree. Remembering how the funding impacted her mother and her, Krieger said, “She was so appreciative when I received federal grants to pay for college and so proud that I chose to become a teacher.”

When Krieger’s mother passed away during the COVID pandemic, she decided that she wanted to remember and recognize her mother’s life. “I needed to honor her life in some way, so what better way than to start a future teacher fund at Bergen,” said Krieger.

“So many of my students encounter the same struggles that I experienced as a first-generation college student,” said Krieger who is passionate about working closely with students who are interested in becoming classroom teachers. “I am so happy to have the opportunity to play a small part in their college journey.”

When Krieger learned the scholarship that she established on behalf of her mother was awarded to Tenempaguay, a student who was currently excelling in one of her education courses, she was able to add an additional $250 to this year’s fund, awarding him a scholarship of $1000.

“Knowing Cristian as a current student and seeing the high level of dedication he has toward his studies, I feel even more connected to his success at Bergen and beyond,” said Krieger.

“Along with managing his considerable family and work responsibilities, he somehow manages to be a high performing student and a fully engaged participant in his courses,” she said.

“During class discussions he was a role model for his classmates,” Krieger said. “He was an active participant who submitted assignments on time, contributed to class discussions, and raised the bar on exploring course topics in a deep level.”

“I believe people like Dr. Krieger make a difference in education,” said Tenempaguay. “She is very professional and dedicated to teaching and guiding new upcoming educators in the right direction.”

Following in his professor’s footsteps, Tenempaguay desires to teach and guide students in the right direction to help them to excel in life. “This scholarship is truly a humbling and inspiring experience,” said Tenempaguay. “As it shows when you work hard, people around you notice it.”

When asked how this scholarship award may impact Tenempaguay’s life, Krieger believes that the long-term impact is more than the award itself. “I think the long-term impact is that Cristian now knows that there are lots of people rooting for him from the sidelines,” said Krieger. “Along with his family, friends, and faith, positive energy is fueling his studies!”

“I feel deep gratitude that Bergen made this experience possible,” said Krieger. “This experience came full circle for me, as I was able to honor my mother’s life, while letting a student know just how important his success is to me.”

To portray his gratitude for Krieger and the scholarship award, Tenempaguay wrote a poem and framed it for Krieger as a gift. In the poem, “Eternity,” Tenempaguay highlights the importance of what we do for others is what ultimately speaks for us in eternity. The text of the poem is available below:

 

Eternity

And then I asked again,

“Master, what of eternity?

Can someone live forever?”

He replied,

“Indeed, there’s a way to live forever—

But not as you imagine.

Our bodies must leave this world,

Yet our essence can linger.

Our actions ripple through time:

The hearts we uplift,

The students we ignite with dreams,

The kindness we give freely

These defy the bounds of years

And carry us into forever.

Like Socrates, sparking wisdom’s flame,

Like poets whose words still sing,

Like a teacher who shapes a life

What we do for others

Becomes our eternal light.”

-Cristian Tenempaguay

Dedicated to The Marilyn Weiner and Melissa Krieger Future Educator Fund

Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.

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