Chivukula for Assembly

On Wednesday, November 23, 2011, Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-17) participated in Central Jersey College Prep’s monthly series inviting community leaders to give motivational speeches to their students.  The Assemblyman spoke in front of approximately 145 middle school students, discussing government and providing life lessons.  Past speakers have included Congressman Rush Holt and Somerset County Sheriff Frank Provenzano

In addition to his background, Chivukula spoke about time management, organization, and setting goals to achieve your dreams.  The Assemblyman explained “When you pay attention to the small things, big things will happen.”  After his speech, Chivukula took questions from the audience on various topics including education and community service. At the end of the assembly, Chivukula assisted in distributing citations to the students who collected the most food for the Franklin Food Bank. CentralJerseyCollegePrep donated 843 pounds of food. 

After meeting with the middle school students, Assemblyman Chivukula addressed eight members of the school’s Junior Statesman of America club to discuss what it is like being a Legislator.  “I am happy to participate in this program because it is wonderful to hear the students’ insightful questions.”  He added “In offering my experiences, I hope to provide some motivation for the students to achieve their goals.” 

Tarkan Topcuogulu, the Chief Education Officer for Central Jersey College Prep expressed the importance of this program.  Mr. Topcuogulu stated “Having the students hear directly from community leaders is inspirational.”  He added “Listening to Mr. Chivukula’s life experiences and how he overcame challenges is truly motivational, especially because he lives in and represents our community.” 

Central Jersey College Prep Charter School is located at 17 Schoolhouse Road in Franklin, NJ.