Rebshidduch, like Winnie the Pooh, I know many girls from modern backgrounds who married learning boys.
I basically agree with what she wrote and think it is wise advice.
However, in one sense, I may have a slightly different perspective. I have known all types of “learning boys”. The typical super-Yeshivish (sociologically speaking) Lakewood boy is only one type. There are many boys who come from similar backgrounds to you who are learning. There are also baalei teshuvas. And there are boys who come from something in between your background and a “Lakewood-type” background as well. Most of the shtark girls I know who came from modern backgrounds married shtark boys from similar backgrounds and did not marry Lakewood boys.
While you should definitely be striving to grow in your Avodas Hashem, and while this may mean moving to a more Torahdik community, you also don’t want to put yourself into a situation where you are trying to fit in to a community in which you don’t fit (sociologically speaking) and trying to go out with boys who are not really the right type for you.
I’m not saying that you can’t go out with Lakewood boys, but there may be boys from other backgrounds who are just as sincere about Torah and Avodas Hashem, and those boys might be more matim for you.
Winnie the Pooh mentioned Passaic. That might be a nice idea for you. If not Passaic, I’m sure there are other places that would be good for you. Lakewood might be a nice place for you to live as well, but then I think you will have to make sure to speak to shadchanim outside of Lakewood as well.
It’s possible that SYAS is a good option for you, since you might be able to find learning boys who are not from Yeshivish backgrounds there. But I
think that it should be in addition to speaking to real-life shadchanim and not instead of.