This Spring, CWA 1037 was proud to again offer 10 academic scholarships for $1,037 in honor of former Local President Michael J. Hopkins. Class of 2026 high school graduates Kimora Ling, granddaughter of former CWA 1037 member Diana Ling, and Dante Mangarelli, son of member Lindsay Mangarelli, spoke to Local 1037 about their personal and professional goals.
Kimora will be leaving her hometown of Jersey City this fall to attend Howard University and study Psychology. A former summer camp counselor at Hoboken-based Community Lifestyle, she hopes to work with children at some point in her career, though she is also interested in forensic social work, helping people who are involved in the justice system, including juveniles.
“I really like learning about people and how they’ve arrived at being who they are,” Kimora explained. “I want to experience different things and options in my career. Pediatric social workers work at hospitals and care centers to keep people together, and if I could find a way to tie that to forensic social work, I think that could be really rewarding.”
Her grandmother Diana, a long-time Shop Steward with 1037 who retired from the Board of Public Utilities in the spring, saw the scholarship posted in the monthly newsletter and encouraged Kimora to apply. Her grandfather is a member of CWA Local 1081 and a Shop Steward.
“Coming from a Union family, I’ve seen how Unions promote advocacy and fairness in the workplace.” She is open to living in different places for work, and hopes to be represented by a Union or Unions during her career. “In my career, I want to promote fairness and equity, and I want to ensure I’m also respected and valued at work.”
Dante Managerelli, who grew up in Pompton Plains and whose mother, Lindsay, has been a Union member at the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) for almost 25 years, will be attending college at the University of Georgia. His mother also learned of the scholarship when she read 1037’s monthly Union newsletter.
“Receiving the CWA Local 1037 Michael J. Hopkins scholarship gives me a lot more financial flexibility to really focus on my classes and my happiness.”
Dante volunteered at the summer camp Camp Acorn, which supports youths and adults with developmental disabilities, and helped raise funds for homeless teens through the annual Covenant House Sleep Out, and participated in local food drives with his high school Unico club.
“I think coming from a Union family, I’ve had more opportunities than some folks. My mom’s Union gave her a level of stability in terms of pay and health care. As a parent, she was able to use her collectively-bargained time off to take care of me and my brother when we were sick, and still have time to take care of herself,” he recalled.
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The Michael J. Hopkins academic scholarship was created in 2025 to honor Local 1037’s former President, whose passion for continuing education was matched only by his passion for worker protections through organizing. In its inaugural year and its second year, 10 scholarships in the amount of $1,037 were awarded to members, retirees, and their immediate family members pursuing secondary education, technical school, or on-going adult education. The applications were carefully vetted by the elected officers of the CWA Local 1037 Retiree Chapter.