AAI scholarship officially open

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — With scholarship season just beginning for many students in Aroostook, there is a very special opportunity available for 16 County seniors. Aroostook Aspirations Initiative’s Gauvin County Scholarship opened Feb. 1. One senior from each of the 16 Aroostook County high schools, will receive a $1,000 scholarship and become the first class of Gauvin Scholars. AAI has an endowment goal of $5 million in 10 years. This will allow the program to eventually assist more than 100 County students each year.    The post-secondary community has also stepped up to help the young people in northern Maine, announcing Jan. 10 that each post-secondary institution is committed to the students’ success. The University of Maine at Presque Isle, University of Maine at Fort Kent and Northern Maine Community College all agreed to renew the scholarship for a second year for all Gauvin Scholars. Husson University pledged to renew the scholarship for years three and four for any Gauvin Scholar who transfers from the associate’s program at NMCC. With this guarantee from the colleges, and the support of AAI’s six-point program, Gauvin Scholars will receive a huge degree of encouragement and mentoring as they pursue post-secondary education.
AAI officially launched in April of 2013. Ray and Sandy Gauvin created the fund to help encourage post-secondary graduation in Aroostook County and to help stimulate the economy. With high outmigration rates, high poverty and low degree attainment, the challenge in Aroostook is certainly formidable. However, with the Gauvins’ initial investment of $300,000 and the support from the post-secondary institutions, the business community, and the citizens of Aroostook, a stronger future is on the horizon.
The Gauvin County Scholarship is unique in Aroostook. The program doesn’t just award scholarships; it has organized opportunities for student engagement and mentoring throughout the scholars’ college careers. These opportunities, part of the six-point program, are organized and run by AAI.
In the summer after graduation, the Gauvin Scholars will have a chance to get to know each other and build relationships that will provide support throughout their college experiences. In the fall, the students will be celebrated and showcased at an event entitled “An Evening With The Stars.” The following spring, the program will hold an Aspirational Weekend where the scholars will be exposed to tools they can use to navigate more easily through college, learn how to best transition into the workforce, and how to find the right fit in a career. The weekend will culminate with a group community service project.
AAI will also provide entrepreneurial training to those scholars who show an interest in running their own business. “The Dream-Catcher Fund” assures that when Gauvin Scholars meet unexpected expenses, ones that might be a stumbling block to them completing their college education, there is help available to them.
Northern and southern Aroostook County seniors have a March 1 deadline, while central Aroostook County seniors have a March 15 deadline. Guidance directors received an informational flyer last month to distribute to students. The AAI scholarship committee will begin reviewing applications in March, and a representative will present the scholarships to the recipients in June.
Seniors should visit the AAI website, www.gauvinfund.org, to access and apply through the online application.