PARSIPPANY — Emma Swan has been chosen to serve as a Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center tutor at Hamilton College for the 2020-21 academic year.

The Writing Center was established in 1987 to help all Hamilton students strengthen their writing abilities.

Writing Center tutors are trained to review such aspects of student work as clarifying ideas, developing a thesis, organizing stages of an argument, and strengthening specific language.

Nominated by faculty members, those chosen as tutors must demonstrate strong writing skills and relate well to their peers. They are considered to be among the best students at Hamilton. In a typical year, Writing Center tutors conduct 3,000 conferences.

Swan, a sophomore, is a graduate of Parsippany High School.

Originally founded in 1793 as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, Hamilton College offers an open curriculum that gives students the freedom to shape their own liberal arts education within a research- and writing-intensive framework. Hamilton enrolls 1,850 students from 49 states and 49 countries. Additional information about the college can be found at www.hamilton.edu.

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany Board of Education member Matthew DeVitto announces his candidacy for re-election to the board. Here is his statement:

My name is Matthew DeVitto and I am first on the ballot for re-election to the Board of Education.

I am a life-long New Jersey resident and has been a resident of Parsippany in the Lake Intervale section since December of 2014.

One of the reasons we moved to Parsippany was because we enjoyed living here previously in Lake Hiawatha and in addition, the good ratings of the township’s public schools.

My wife Christine and I have three children ages 14, nine, and nine attending the Township Schools.

I have had the honor of serving on the Board of Education for the past three years. During my term, I have served on the Transportation, Buildings and Grounds, Sports, Communications, Personnel, and Policy committees.

I have been a network engineer for 21 years with FIS Global, a financial services company. I feel today’s children need a good grasp of today’s modern technology to further many of today’s academic goals.

I am active in intramural sports in town coaching with the Parsippany Soccer Club and Par-Troy West Little League baseball. I do see the value of extracurricular activities to supplement our children’s academic education.

I am looking for your vote this election. #1 on the ballot, Matthew DeVitto for Parsippany Board of Education.

PARSIPPANY — John Titus, Aisha Mahmood, and Nilesh Bagdai announced their campaign for the Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education.  Parsippany’s schools and community will benefit from the diverse array of backgrounds these candidates bring to the table.

John, Aisha, and Nilesh will appear in positions 4, 5, and 6 on your ballot this year. All three are first-time candidates for public office.

“Parsippany is a strong and dynamic community, with a school system that has impacted all of our lives,” the three stated jointly. “We are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work in what may be the most challenging time our district has ever faced.”

John Titus has lived in Parsippany for 12 years and is a former coach at Parsippany High School. He is entering his 16th year of teaching in the Rockaway School District. His experience includes teaching grades two through eight in all core subjects, as well as proficiency working with children exhibiting a range of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional functioning. During the 2020-2021 school year, John is teaching in a 4th-grade inclusion classroom setting, adapted to accommodate children with behavior challenges. In addition to teaching, John has dedicated several years to coaching. He served as the Head Volleyball Coach at Caldwell University for eight years. He is currently the Associate Director of Sport Development with USA Volleyball for New Jersey and New York.

Aisha Mahmood has been a Parsippany resident for 30 years, having graduated from Brooklawn Middle School and Parsippany Hills High School. She graduated from Kean University in 2004 with a Bachelors’s in Biology. Since then, she has worked in the Pharmaceutical, Financial, and Telecommunication industries. Her experience includes working as a business analyst and project manager for the last 14 years. She has also been a volunteer teacher at a local Sunday school for 16 years. As a former student in this district, she has a strong understanding of how our school system can best function. In her free time, she likes to travel and take photography trips. She currently resides in Powder Mill with her husband.

Nilesh Bagdai resides in Lake Hiawatha with his wife and daughter, a Central Middle School student. After earning an MBA in Finance from the University of Mumbai, he immigrated to the United States in 2004. Nilesh is a banking and payment processing professional. He is the founder and CEO of Direct Pay LLC, a credit card processing small business facilitating over 5 million transactions per year. In addition to his work as Head of Finance for several other companies, Nilesh is an avid management professional and trainer. As a parent with a child in the public school system, Nilesh has a front-row seat to what is currently working and what needs to be improved in our school district. As a small business owner specializing in finance, he knows how to demand a dollar’s worth of value for every tax dollar the district spends.

As a teacher, a Parsippany schools graduate, and a Parsippany school parent, John, Aisha, and Nilesh represent the diverse range of perspectives our school system needs to thrive. Together, they will strive to make the Parsippany Board of Education work for taxpayers, students, and families.

When you receive your ballot in the mail, be sure to vote 4-5-6, your top picks for Board of Education.