Al Kowaleski Memorial Book Scholarship Awarded To Wildlife Biology Student

Sept. 9, 2010 - PRLog -- CARP Tournament Series named Jevonnah Foster of Ogdensburg NY as the fall semester recipient of the Al Kowaleski Memorial Book Scholarship.  Foster studies wildlife biology at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse NY.  

The scholarship was established by CARP Tournament Series to honor fisherman Al Kowaleski acknowledging college-level students of fisheries management or biological sciences with a dedication to the preservation of the environment and the common carp species.  The Birdsboro, Pennsylvania angler was well-known for mentoring young people in the joys of catch-and release carp angling and succumbed to cancer in late 2007.  

A panel of advisors comprised of the late angler’s colleagues—Robert Bernowski, Michael Malone, Mark Metzger, David Moore and Kathleen Kelly-Ori—agreed that Ms. Foster’s associates degree in natural resources conservation at SUNY Morrisville formed a solid foundation for the next step in her collegiate journey toward a bachelors degree at SUNY ESF in wildlife biology.  Her goal is to continue studies in environmental sciences.  The fall award is two-hundred fifty dollars, and Foster is eligible for the second round scholarship in January 2011.

In her application essay, Foster says she is an advocate for cleaner and less toxic rivers, lakes and streams.  She credits her father Jay Foster of Ogdensburg as a strong influence on her love of the sport of catch-and-release carp fishing.  She enjoys teaching others the to learn how to fish and tries to influence anglers to leave their environment better than they found it.  Foster sets an example by picking up litter and garbage along the shore where she fishes to reinforce her advocacy for a clean environment in and out of the water.  She started fishing in 2004 on the junior level of competitive fishing and now fishes regularly in her hometown on the St. Lawrence River with friends and family.

“Jevonnah exemplifies young anglers of the world today,” says world-class carp angler David Moore of CARP Tournament Series and a founding director of the American Carp Society .  “Young people love the outdoors, and they care about the health of their environment.  Jevonnah is an amazing role model for young people combining her angling skills , education and activism to promote a healthy eco-system in our waters.”

CARPTS offers the scholarship twice a year—September and January.  More information and an application can be found at www.carptournamentseries.com

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CARP Tournament Series is dedicated to the education and sport of catch-and-release carp angling while providing the highest quality competitions for those who exemplify good sportsmanship and show humane stewardship of the common carp species.