Posted Friday, February 15th, 2019

(l/r) Krystal Colon, County Clerk Ann Grossi, Andrew Donahue, and Julian Mesa stand in front of their winning entries in the annual Morris County Manual cover art contest

Students from the Morris Hills Regional School District won all three top prizes in the Morris County Clerk’s 2019 County Manual cover art contest, it was announced today by County Clerk Ann Grossi at a special ceremony in Morristown.

Krystal Colon of Morris Knolls High School was the first place winner, and Morris Hills High School students Andrew Donahue and Julian Mesa finished second and third respectively.

The students were joined at the event by Morris Hills Regional School District Superintendent James Jencarelli and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Samuel Morgan, who is the commander of the Army garrison at Picatinny Arsenal, where Colon and her family live.

(l/r) Julian Mesa, Superintendent James Jencarelli, and Andrew Donahue

The annual Morris County Manual offers a physical and online listing of key federal, state, county, and local government offices and agencies; the Superior Court system, important hotlines, media connections, election timelines, and even zip codes for all sections of all 39 Morris County towns.

Earliest records indicate the County Manual was established by the Morris County Clerk’s Office in 1906. Over the past century, it has undergone many changes to reflect the county’s evolution throughout the decades.

However, the purpose of the County Manual has remained constant, as a central resource for county residents regarding their government.

Each year, the County Clerk holds an art contest open to students in school districts across the county. The top three finishers get scholarship awards of $500, $200 and $100.  The 2018 winners were Felicia Terreri of Whippany Park High School, Aayush of the Morris County Academy of Computer Science, and Jared Reddington of Morris Hills High School.

First place winner Krystal Colon with her mom, County Clerk Grossi, (on left) Picatinny Commander Morgan and her Marine Corps recruiter

Here is a bit about the 2019 winners:

Krystal Colon – Morris Knolls High School – 1st Place Winner

Krystal Colón is a senior at Morris Knolls High School. Krystal was born and raised in North Carolina, she has lived in Hawaii, California and New York. This will be her first and last year at Morris Knolls. Her hobbies are reading, drawing, video games and playing volleyball in her free time. After graduation she plans to join the United States Marine Corp.

Andrew Donahue – Morris Hills High School – 2nd Place Winner

Andrew Donahue is a senior attending Morris Hills High School. He designed the manual cover in his cartooning and animation course at Morris Hills. He enjoys running track and cross country for Morris Hills, as well a computer coding. After high school, Andrew plans to attend a 4 year college to pursue his interest in cyber security.

Julian Mesa – Morris Hills High School – 3rd Place Winner

Julian is a senior at Morris Hills High School. He has played varsity soccer for four years and lacrosse for two years. Julian is a member of the National Honor Society and has had a passion for art and design since he was a kid. He is going to attend Stockton University in the fall of 2019 to play soccer and further his education in graphic design.

Congratulations to each!!