SAD 41 students to be presented with Maine College Circle scholarships May 17
On Thursday, May 17 there will be two assemblies held in SAD 41 schools to honor 34 students who will be awarded $100 scholarships from the Maine College Circle’s College Aspirations Scholarship program.
This program involves students in grades 3-6. Scholarships are awarded based on essays written by the students and scored by local retired teachers and other school staff. The essays focus on what the students identify as their career aspirations and include information about what post secondary education they will need to pursue to meet their goals, what courses they will need to take and what college/university/trade school they would plan to attend.
To date, 313 SAD 41 students have received scholarships totaling $31,300. The awards offered by this nonprofit initiative are locally or privately funded by generous people, businesses and groups who agree that we need to assist students in identifying and working toward their dreams. Students’ essays are reviewed by former educators, educational technicians, and secretaries in this district with the program’s director, Bob Stuart. The program focuses on schools in economically challenged areas of the state.
Students can be awarded a scholarship each year they participate or may only be selected one time. The money which is held for them by the College Circle can be accessed to help with college expenses when students are ready for college or trade school or may, if guidelines are met, be drawn upon earlier to help a student with items or programs that will help them meet their goals. For example, last year one student in this district wanted a set of fairly expensive markers as she loves to draw and wants to be an artist. The scorers pooled money so that this student could actually receive the markers she so wanted in place of a $100 scholarship. If a student wanted cookware to further their wish to become a chef or needed tools to further their learning to become a mechanic, the scholarship money could be used for such a purpose.
The assemblies on May 17 will be held at the Penquis Valley School cafeteria at 9:08 a.m. for grades 5-6. A second assembly will be held at Brownville Elementary at 12:30 p.m. for the students in grades 3-4. Many of the local scorers will be on hand to cheer this year’s scholarship winners on and everyone is invited to join them.
For more about the College Aspirations Scholarship program, please visit mainecollegecircle.org.