Machias senior Hussey earns $5,000 Ramsdell scholarship

Machias High School senior Sarah Hussey felt a connection to Jay Ramsdell when she did some research after being nominated for the Jay Ramsdell Foundation scholarship.

“I knew he was very involved in managing and I thought that was neat because we obviously had some similarities,” said Hussey, who turned to managing basketball and soccer when her participation in athletics was limited due to sports-induced asthma.

Hussey’s work in team athletics, as well involvement in several other school and community activities, helped her become the 12th winner of the $5,000 Ramsdell scholarship, Foundation chairman Dennis Damon announced Monday.

“I was ecstatic when I got the call from Mr. Damon. I didn’t expect it. I was just glad to be nominated by [Machias athletic director Bob Sinford],” Hussey said.

The scholarship is awarded to a Maine student who has demonstrated desire, commitment and dedication with aspirations and aptitude to meet future challenges, according to Damon.

Hussey, the daughter of Evangeline and Wesley Hussey, was one of 23 nominees for the scholarship.

The Jay Ramsdell Foundation is a nonprofit charity commemorating Ramsdell, a Mount Desert Island native. He was commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association when he died at age 25 on a United Airlines crash in Sioux City, Iowa, on July 19, 1989.

Hussey, who plays softball for Machias, said she didn’t want her asthma to limit her ability to contribute and stay involved in athletics. That strong desire to be involved extended to other school and community activities.

“I like having a lots of different experiences. They’ll definitely help me in life,” Hussey said. “There’s knowledge to be gained from each activity.”

She said she has learned some valuable lessons from being involved in athletics.

“People look more of the physical aspects [of athletics], but being involved forces you to be a real team player, to cooperate with others and learn time management,” she said. “I don’t feel in any way that I’ve lost anything from managing [instead of playing] athletics.”

Hussey, who ranks seventh in her class with a 94.9 GPA, plans to attend Husson College in Bangor this fall and major in elementary education. She would like to become a third-grade teacher.

At Machias, she was a member of the National Honor Society and the math team. She also served in student government and various school activities as well as mentoring junior high school students and attending Dirigo Girls State.

At Husson, Hussey hopes to stay involved in school athletics and activities after she gauges the time commitment necessary to continue to excel in academics.

“As I was able to handle more responsibility [in high school], I took on more,” she said. “When I go to college I’ll have to see how my classes are going, but I definitely want to stay involved somehow.”