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Building Promising Futures
Mercy Center’s Sisters Academy Raises Funds for Tuition-Free School, Honors Local Supporters
Spring Lake, NJ (June 11, 2025) — Brenda Cabrera Vicens was struggling to learn English and being bullied at her primary school when an opportunity to attend Mercy Center’s Sisters Academy in Asbury Park changed everything for the daughter of hardworking immigrant parents.
“Sisters Academy gave me a place to learn and grow. It became more than a school, it became a lifeline,” said Vicens, 28, a graduate of Sisters Academy’s class of 2011, and now a physician assistant practicing vascular surgery for Hackensack Meridian Health.
Vicens shared her story at the Academy’s Spring Luncheon on June 5 at the Spring Lake Golf Club, highlighting the positive impact that supportive education has on the lives of the young girls who attend the faith-based, tuition-free middle school.
Hosted under a sweeping open-air tent, the luncheon raised vital funds to support the Academy’s private education for 56 girls in grades four through eight. The event featured awards presentations, a musical performance from students, live and silent auctions, and a raffle drawing. Funds raised will support tuition, breakfast and lunch programs, uniforms, school supplies and a school trip to see a show at Radio City Music Hall.
“This day was a celebration of what’s possible when we believe in girls and invest in their futures,” said Mercy Center’s Executive Director and former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. “Together, we’re providing a pathway out of poverty—one girl, one family at a time.”
Longtime Sister’s Academy supporters Dr. John M. Tozzi and his wife, Mary Jane, were presented the Spirit of Mercy Award, which honors exceptional donors whose generosity and compassion reflect the school’s mission. Through the Alexandra Rose Tozzi Memorial Foundation, named in memory of their daughter, the Spring Lake couple has supported four students with direct financial assistance for 21 years and funded the Alexandra Rose Tozzi Science Center in 2007. Dr. Tozzi also provided a shadow experience to Vicens as part of her training to become a physician assistant.
Sisters Academy also recognized Friends of the Spring Lake 5, whose contributions to local charities have exceeded $3 million. Honored with the Community Partner Award, the organization has supported students with donations to tuition scholarships and most recently awarded the school a grant for Green Works, an environmental education initiative.
Guadagno said the school boasts a 100 percent graduation rate, with all students going on to complete high school, many with scholarships to private schools, and 92 percent earning a college degree. Since adding a fourth grade two years ago, Sisters Academy has experienced a 40 percent increase in enrollment. It costs $17,000 to educate each student annually, a cost fully covered through donations and community support.
In addition to the dual-accredited middle school, Mercy Center operates a bustling food pantry in Asbury Park that nourished more than 109,000 people in 2024 and provides extensive multi-lingual social services to strengthen families. Through these services, all provided at no cost, Mercy Center aims to break the cycle of poverty in the greater Asbury Park community.
For more information about Mercy Center’s Sisters Academy and other programs and services offered to the community, visit its website, www.MercyCenterNJ.org.
Photo Credit: John Vitollo
Photo Caption: Brenda Cabrera Vicens, a 2011 graduate of Mercy Center’s Sisters Academy of New Jersey, and now a physician assistant, says the school was a lifeline.
Photo Credit: John Vitollo
Photo Caption: Dr. John Tozzi and wife Mary Jane accept the Spirit of Mercy Award from Sisters Academy of New Jersey for their longstanding support.
Photo Credit: John Vitollo
Photo Caption: Mercy Center Executive Director Kim Guadagno (right) presents the Community Partner Award to Friends the Spring Lake 5 representative Cindy Lustrino.
Photo Credit: John Vitollo
Photo Caption: Sisters Academy students perform for guests at the school’s Spring Luncheon fundraising event.
Photo Credit: John Vitollo
Photo Caption: Mercy Center Executive Director Kim Guadagno welcomes guests to the charity’s Sisters Academy of New Jersey Spring Luncheon.
About Mercy Center
Mercy Center, founded by the Sisters of Mercy, is a nonprofit charitable organization working to break the cycle of generational poverty in the greater Asbury Park area. Our food pantry nourishes families, caring programs and services help stabilize them, and our Sisters Academy provides a quality education to put an end to the cycle of poverty, one child, one family at a time. See our mission in motion. To donate, volunteer or learn more about how we empower, enrich, and educate the people we serve, visit www.MercyCenterNJ.
