By Deanna Jordan
Staff Writer
As all students and parents know, college tuition costs are extremely high, and hard to deal with. The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) has made paying college expenses a little easier for an Aroostook County teen. Jessica Laplante, 18, daughter of George and Cathy Laplante of Van Buren, owners of Laplante Automotive garage and repair shop, is the recipient of a $4,000 scholarship from the NASE. The NASE is an association which provides educational resources, legislative advocacy and consolidated buying power to the self-employed. Each year, the NASE awards 20 $4,000 scholarships to dependents of an NASE member, who is already running their own successful business. The NASE also offers a Future Entrepreneur award up to $24,000, which was awarded to Patrick Kaltenbach, of Newtonville, Mass., this year.
“For 19 years, the NASE has viewed this scholarship program as a way to help our members send their children to college,” said Robert Hughes, NASE president. “The students can study any subject at any accredited college. It’s our way of investing in future micro-business owners.”
Laplante will be attending Bowdoin College in the fall, to study biology and pre-medicine. She intends to go on to medical school to become a doctor.
“Eight years of school can be a burden,” said Laplante. “The $4,000 will definitely be a big help.”
