The winner of the $5,000 2006 Maine Island Partners Scholarship is Benjamin Lovell of North Haven. He is a senior at North Haven Community School.
The scholarship is awarded to an individual who combines civic leadership, community involvement and academic achievement. Lovell is an outstanding scholar who has taken a lead role in North Haven’s initiative to build a new school, competed in the Tour De Sol with the “EV” an electric/solar vehicle built by North Haven students, and served as president of the student council and co-captain of the basketball team. After completing a project on the bird flu epidemic, he brought community leaders together to begin formulating an emergency response plan for the town of North Haven in the event of a bird flu epidemic. Lovell plans to attend Bowdoin College this fall.
The purpose of the Island Institute’s Island Partners Scholarship is to support Maine islands’ best and brightest during the very important transitional period between leaving the small community they have known and entering the challenging college environment.
The scholarship is open to graduating seniors from Maine’s 14 year-round, un-bridged island communities. The scholarship decision panel, consisting of island community members, Island Institute staff and a member of the Island Partners, received a wide range of highly qualified applicants.
Funding for the scholarship comes from the Island Partners, whose membership includes the most supportive members of the Island Institute. The Maine Island Partners Scholarship will be available again in the 2006-2007 school year. For further information visit www.islandinsitute.org.