Schools

Old Town High School

OLD TOWN – These members of the Class of 2008 were selected for Junior Prize Speaking: Maggie Campbell, Lauren Keane, Kayleigh Mahan, Emma McCullagh, Amanda Reid, Zaq Goater, Cameron Henry and Ethan Shanley.

This year’s theme is “Around the House.” The performance is slated for Wednesday, Feb. 7. The public is invited to attend and there is no admission fee.

These students will participate in the All-State Music Festival to be held Thursday through Saturday, May 17-19, at the University of Southern Maine’s Merrill Auditorium:

. Molly Segee, orchestra.

. Regina Kenneway, Skylar Hopkins, Jason Priest, Andrew Chalila, Cody Gilks, Erin Burns, Gabriella Do’Amaral, Ethan Shanley, Kate Thibault, Maggie Campbell, Sarah Murray, Charlotte Kenneway and Lexi Mitchell, band.

These seniors have received college acceptance letters:

. Ryann Grant, University of New England.

. Katherine McPhail, New Hampshire Institute of Art.

. Krystyna Libby, Beal College.

. Scott LaFlamme, St. Joseph’s College.

Colleges

Master’s in social work

Those interested in learning more about the Master’s in Social Work Program are invited to attend informational meetings at one of the following locations:

. Noon-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, University of Maine Hutchinson Center, 80 Belmont Ave., Belfast.

. 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, Room 104, Social Work Building, University of Maine School of Social Work, Orono.

. 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, University of Maine Hutchinson Center, 80 Belmont Ave., Belfast.

. 2-3:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, Room 104, Social Work Building, University of Maine School of Social Work, Orono.

Attendees will learn more about the program, meet current faculty, students and alumni, get answers to questions and learn about financial aid.

For more information, call 581-2389 in Orono, or 338-8000 or (800) 753-9044 in Belfast.

Eastern Maine Community College

BANGOR – The Maine Higher Education Assistance Foundation president, Joseph J. Pietroski Jr., presented Helen Chamberlain a $1,000 scholarship on Dec. 14 at the Eastern Maine Community College library.

Chamberlain is a second-year Eastern Maine Community College student in the medical transcription program and was nominated for the scholarship based on her academic performance and financial need.

Chamberlain maintains a 3.93 GPA. She is a member of the EMCC’s Phi Theta Kappa honor society and balances her college academic life with full family responsibilities as a single mother of three children.

The Maine Higher Education Assistance Foundation was established in the 1950s to support a guarantee fund for student loans.

The founders included banks, businesses, community organizations and individuals. In 1990, the foundation’s trustees, the Maine Bankers Association’s board of directors, seeking to continue the original intent of the founding members, began a scholarship program funded by the return of the original loan guarantee funds. Since 1990, a total of $215,400 has been awarded in scholarships. Twelve Maine colleges and universities receive the scholarship.

Each year, one business student from one of the Maine Community College System’s colleges is awarded the scholarship.

The EMCC medical transcription program relies on classes within the business management associate degree program. The program was created based on recommendation of the business management advisory committee.

The committee recognized the need in the health care industry for a new academic program incorporating classic business classes with the medical transcription to better position students to find employment in the heath care industry.

Maine Maritime Academy

CASTINE – Maine Maritime Academy alumna Sandra Bendixen of Linwood, Wash., Class of 2005, was the honored guest at the regular morning formation of the college’s Regiment of Midshipmen on Dec. 13.

Bendixen received a surprise commendation and plaque from her employer, Interocean American Shipping of Voorhees, N.J., for her outstanding efforts to render medical assistance to two critically injured longshoremen. Bendixen was cited for her immediate action, skill, and calm and assured manner during the recent shipboard crisis.

Mitchell Walker, MMA Class of 1971, vice president and general manager of Interocean American Shipping, traveled to Castine to make the special presentation in the presence of Maine Maritime Academy students. He used the event as an opportunity to cite the college’s staff and faculty for its contribution to the development of highly professional merchant seafarers.

According to Interocean American Shipping accounts, Bendixen, a certified emergency medical technician, was serving as a licensed third mate aboard the MV Independence when the accident took place in the port of Shuaybah, Kuwait. A forklift being used by longshoremen was left unattended and fell into an elevator opening, falling approximately 10 meters, striking and seriously injuring two longshoremen.

Bendixen responded immediately to the scene, crawled underneath the vehicle and provided medical care to stabilize one injured longshoreman until the machine could be removed. She then directed others on how to continue care and began treating the second injured longshoreman who had suffered multiple injuries, leg trauma and significant blood loss. She oversaw the treatment of both people until shore-side U.S. Army emergency medical personnel arrived and relieved her.

In his remarks, Walker said, “Ms. Bendixen’s professionalism and outstanding performance in an emergency situation are a tribute to herself and the U.S. Merchant Marine.”

New England School of Communications

BANGOR – The New England School of Communications has announced that Thomas Johnston has been elected as its third president effective Jan. 1.

The NESCom board of directors also elected James Goff of Veazie to serve as chairman and John Rohman of Bangor as vice chairman.

NESCom celebrated its 25th anniversary in October. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of Husson College in 1997. Since then, its enrollment has expanded to more than 300 students.

NESCOM offers students both the associate of science and the bachelor of science degree program in communications, with concentrations in advertising and public relations, audioengineering, broadcast journalism, digital media, radio, sports broadcasting and video production.

“We see continued growth at NESCom in its current programs as well as in expanding the school’s offerings in communications technology, live performance, video-film and print journalism,” Johnston said. “The distinction between media outlets by which information and entertainment is created and delivered is increasingly blurred and our graduates will need broader knowledge and skills to support their careers.”

“Thom Johnston has been a leader on the Husson College and NESCom boards, not to mention in Bangor’s performing arts community. He was the natural, and the best, choice for expanding NESCom into new career areas.” said Husson President William Beardsley.

Johnston, a graduate of Middlebury College and Boston College Law School, has served as a senior partner and chairman of the Employment Law Practice Group of Eaton Peabody.

“Thom Johnston has practiced at Eaton Peabody for 31 years, and his daily presence will be missed by both his colleagues and his clients,” said Eaton Peabody CEO Dan McKay. “We are confident that he will share his enthusiasm for education with the student body at NESCom, and we look forward to his continuing association with the firm in an ‘of counsel’ capacity.”

Johnston is a past president of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra Board and the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, and past chairman of the boards at Husson College and the New England School of Communications. He will remain counsel to Eaton Peabody, and also will serve as the chief human resource officer and corporate secretary for Husson College.

James Goff is the former owner of Penobscot Broadcasting Corp., which operated WHOU AM and FM and WPBC FM93. He also is the past president of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra board of directors.

John Rohman is president of WBRC Architects-Engineers and chairman of the Maine Commission on the Creative Economy.

University of Maine

ORONO – The University of Maine Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi, has recognized Adrienne Given, a sophomore from Bangor, for outstanding achievement with the Geddes Simpson Book Award.

University of Maine

ORONO – A team of graduate students from the University of Maine Business School recently placed second in an international business plan competition held in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

All international students pursuing master’s degrees in business administration, the UM students competed against 19 other student teams composed of graduate and undergraduate students.

Artem Popov from Russia, Gohar Harutyunyan from Armenia and Monica Angelova of Bulgaria presented a business plan for a proposed company that would import sun-dried fruits from Armenia into Canada and distribute them to natural food stores and grocery chains from Ottawa to Quebec City. If the group is successful in launching its venture, the company, Amber Dried Fruits, would be based in Montreal.

The teams each had 12 minutes to present their plans to a panel of three judges at the University of New Brunswick’s annual business plan competition sponsored by CIBC, a Canadian bank.

The UMaine team won the second place award for a separate, shortened version of the business plan presentation, a one-minute “elevator pitch,” delivered by Popov.

“Their written business plan was clear and it was easy to understand what they intend to do,” judge Kathy Malley of Malley Industries in Dieppe, New Brunswick, said afterward. “They did a beautiful job on developing a logo and promotional flier. It was evident that a great deal of work went into this project, and we certainly believed their venture to be viable.”

Richard Grant, director of business graduate programs and executive education at the UMaine Business School, accompanied the students as coach and adviser.

University of Maine

ORONO – Eight students have been inducted into the honor society Chi Epsilon in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maine.

Membership in Chi Epsilon is a mark of distinction placed on undergraduates who have upheld the honor of the department through high scholastic ability.

Chi Epsilon holds that an honor society with the broad principles of scholarship, character, practicality and sociability is incentive to greater achievement in the civil engineering profession.

The undergraduates inducted into the Maine Alpha chapter on Dec. 13 were:

. Brock Arthur Bessey of Ashland.

. Julie Erin Faloon of Medway.

. Richard Wayne McLain, III, of Levant.

. Derek John Nener-Plante of Bedford, Mass.

. Jennifer Lynn Stevens of Knox.

. Michael Paul Swett of Old Town.

. William Donald Syron of Burlington, Vt.

. Kevin Adam Merrill of Westbrook.

Merrill is a senior, and the others are juniors.