Schools

Bangor High School

BANGOR – AXA Advisors LLC, a provider of financial services for consumers and businesses, announced that Jennifer Rowe, a Bangor High School senior, has won the state AXA Achievement Scholarship.

Rowe is one of 52 students nationally to be awarded scholarships of $10,000, said Tom Ruggiero, executive vice president and manager of AXA Advisors’ Boston branch.

Rowe has been working on a scientific project for the past two years identifying estrogenic chemicals in treatment facilities and area lakes.

“At a young age, my father taught me the importance of living in harmony with the Earth,” said Rowe. “I quickly learned I loved environmental science, for it integrated my love for nature with my natural curiosity.”

Working with a research chemist at the University of Maine, Rowe works with estrogenic agonists, chemicals that mimic the effects of estrogen in the endocrine systems in humans and wildlife.

“I believe my research will have a positive effect on my community,” said Rowe. “At the very least, I hope it will raise awareness of estrogens and other pharmaceuticals that find their way into the water ecosystems.”

Scholarship winners will be listed in U.S. News & World Reports’ College Financing issue. The scholarship program is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a program of Scholarship America, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit private sector and educational support organizations.

AXA Achievement is the initiative of the AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA Equitable, and is designed to provide resources that help make college possible – access and advice. Scholarship recipients demonstrate ambition and drive, determination to set and reach goals and the ability to succeed in college.

Orrington kindergarten

ORRINGTON – Appointments are being scheduled for a school visit on Friday, May 4, Center Drive School, for children entering kindergarten in the fall. Residents of Orrington with a child who will be 5 years old by Oct. 15 should call the school office at 825-3697 to make an appointment.

Hermon High School

HERMON – Students of the Month for March at Hermon High School are:

. Freshman Emily Bell, daughter of Doug and Diane Reed of Carmel.

. Sophomore Jason Hughes, son of James and Kimberly Dunn of Levant.

. Junior Christine Reynolds, daughter of Chris and Michelle Reynolds of Hermon.

. Senior Monica Gallant, daughter of Barry Gallant of Levant and Tina Gallant of Bangor.

Reeds Brook Middle School

HAMPDEN – Gov. John Baldacci joined some 150 eighth-grade pupils at Reeds Brook Middle School on April 13 to honor hundreds of veterans as part of the school’s Patriots’ Day celebration.

“There should be more events like this one, honoring veterans in schools, all around the country,” Baldacci said. “To honor a veteran is to honor the people who put your freedoms and rights ahead of their own lives and families.”

Baldacci told the students and veterans gathered for the event that Mainers are proud of their troops and veterans and continue to show their support throughout the state.

The pupils and veterans were treated to singing by the Reeds Brook Middle School chorus, dancing by the Top Hat Dance Studio, the reading of a letter from former President George H.W. Bush, a USO-style show and live feed from Baghdad that allowed deployed troops to talk to students and veterans.

“The sooner you learn the stories of veterans and the importance of the service they have given,” said the governor, “the sooner you will realize that you should support them any way you can.”

Colleges

Eastern Maine Community College

BANGOR – Seven students were nominated for Student of the Year, Eastern Maine Community College’s highest recognition of academic excellence, leadership, perseverance, ambition, community, campus engagement and citizenship.

The honor went to Robert Jenkins of Brewer and Bangor, a second-year refrigeration, air conditioning and heating student who is vice president of the student chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, Air Conditioning Engineers and treasurer of the Student Senate.

Jim Peary, co-chairman of the refrigeration, air conditioning and heating department at EMCC, nominated Jenkins along with co-chairman Charlie Veilleux.

“Rob is a nontraditional student who is fully engaged on campus and with his classmates,” Peary said. “He brings an upbeat attitude to everything he does and is academically top notch.”

Also nominated for Student of the Year were: Bruce Boyington, Carmel; Helen Chamberland, Hampden; Kate Cummings, Bangor; Jeannie Hatch, Medford; Tim Kennedy, Strong; Mark Laverdiere, Bangor; and Robin Lozier, Hermon.

Thirty-seven students were honored for leadership and 70 were given scholarships in an April 10 luncheon at Rangeley Hall.

Student leaders serve on advisory committees, hold offices for clubs and activities, serve on student government, were nominated for Student of the Year or hold editorial positions with the student newspaper.

More than $120,000 in scholarships were awarded.

Husson College

BANGOR – Husson College Vice Chairman Richard Trott and President William Beardsley will be the hosts for a 95th birthday celebration for Dr. Clara Swan 3-5 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at The Swan Center, at the college.

In conjunction with the celebration, Altrusa International of Greater Bangor is establishing the Clara Swan Scholarship fund. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a Husson College student.

Those who wish to contribute to the scholarship fund may mail a check to Altrusa to the Clara Swan Scholarship, c/o Lois Bloomer, 826 Bog Road, Hermon, 04401, or drop it off at the display at the party.

For information about the scholarship, call Margaret Brown at 825-3178, or Martha Porter at 843-5826. For reservations to the party, call 941-7138.

Maine Maritime Academy

CASTINE – Maine Maritime Academy President Leonard Tyler announced that U.S. Sen. Susan M. Collins will speak at the college’s 64th commencement at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in Alexander Fieldhouse. She will receive an honorary doctorate from the college.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to formally recognize Senator Collins’ record of service to her country and state through her tireless advocacy of improved port and maritime security,” said Tyler. “Her contributions in these areas have substantially supported the industry Maine Maritime Academy serves and have drawn attention to the critical role of the free and secure flow of maritime commerce. Senator Collins’ continued support of higher education and the strong traditions of Maine small businesses and working waterfronts has earned our deep appreciation.”

Collins was elected to the United States Senate in 1996 and 2002. She was the first freshman senator to serve as chairwoman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. After re-election, Collins became chairwoman of the Homeland Security Committee, which presides over the Department of Homeland Security and works closely with other Senate committees that deal with the U.S. Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration, and customs and border protection. She is on the Armed Services Committee.

In 2004, she co-authored the Collins-Lieberman Intelligence Reform Act, which represented the most sweeping changes to America’s intelligence community in 50 years. In October, President George W. Bush signed into law port security legislation authored by Collins and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. The Security and Accountability for Every Port Act became the first legislation of its kind to authorize an annual funding level to help secure United States ports against terrorism.

Collins is known as an advocate for education, for improved health care and for small businesses. She has sought to raise the minimum and maximum levels of federal Pell Grants for college students, and reintroduced the Working Waterfront Preservation Act to assist the commercial fish industry in combating the loss of waterfront property and to protect the maritime heritage of Maine and the nation.

Collins served in 1997 as the official sponsor of the training ship State of Maine, has provided diplomatic assistance in training cruise ports-of-call and participated in the college’s 2005 commencement exercises.

Maine Maritime Academy

CASTINE – Midshipman Shawn Evans of Bangor was awarded a Bangor Sea Dogs Alumni Chapter Scholarship of $1,000 during the Alumni Regimental Awards ceremony. The honor recognizes academic achievement and involvement at Maine Maritime Academy.

Evans, a graduate of Bangor High School, is a member of the Class of 2009 and is majoring in marine engineering operations.

New England School of Communications

BANGOR – Daniel Hildreth, a director and shareholder of Diversified Communications in Portland, will be the featured speaker at the New England School of Communications 25th commencement at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at Newman Gymnasium, Husson College.

Sixty-four students will receive diplomas – 23 associate degrees and 41 bachelor’s degrees.

Hildreth graduated from Bowdoin College in 1981 and holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He serves on the boards of GrowSmart Maine and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

Diversified Communications owns two network-affiliated TV stations, WABI in Bangor and WCJB in Gainesville, Fla.

For 10 years Hildreth worked on the trade media side of the business, Diversified Business Communications, as a manager in business development, Web development and market research. The business produces 50 trade shows and conferences a year in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.

NESCom, which trains students for careers in radio, television and allied communications fields, was founded in 1981.

BANGOR – Jillian Whitney of Machias, a sophomore at the New England School of Communications, may have found her niche as the result of winning a scholarship and paid internship sponsored by the New England Direct Marketing Association Foundation in a New Englandwide competition.

The awards, which came after an interview session with a panel of foundation executives in Newton, Mass., have influenced Whitney to change her major at NESCom from TV production to marketing and public relations. She will receive a $3,000 scholarship toward her tuition and the foundation will seek a paid internship for her with a firm that represents a segment of the direct marketing industry in the Bangor area this summer.

The NEDMA Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps educators bring direct marketing education to the classroom.

A graduate of Machias Memorial High School, Whitney attended the University of Maine at Machias before transferring to NESCom. She is the daughter of Dwight Whitney of Waterville and Joyce Fragale of Machias.

University College of Bangor

AUGUSTA – The University of Maine at Augusta will hold its 39th Commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 12, at the Augusta Civic Center.

Some 600 graduates from UMA, including many from the University College of Bangor, will receive associate and baccalaureate degrees.

During commencement exercises, UMA will present several awards, including two Distinguished Student Awards.

University of Maine

ORONO – The University of Maine honored 24 of 2,000-plus student employees on April 9 for exceptional professionalism, responsibility and service.

The students were nominated by supervisors from two dozen offices or departments. During the Student Employee of the Year reception, an undergraduate student and a graduate student were named as the top two employees of the year, chosen by a campus selection committee.

One of the two also was selected by a statewide panel for the National Student Employee Association’s Northeast Region competition. Gabriel Belanger, a senior in a dual degree program, zoology and psychology, will be considered among other college and university nominees from the Northeast.

Belanger, a native of the Maine town of Moscow, has been a work-study student at Fogler Library for four years. He will attend Dartmouth Medical School in the fall.

The graduate student employee of the year award went to Marie Dubord, formerly of Lewiston, who works at the Women’s Resource Center on campus and is scheduled to receive a master’s degree in higher education in May.

Organized by Student Employment and Bodwell Volunteer Center, the ceremony included remarks by center director Mary Skaggs, a proclamation by Provost Edna Szymanski and awards by Dean of Students Robert Dana and Mary Young, a student employment and volunteer assistant in the Bodwell Center.

Student nominees were: Kimberly Almeida, Science and Engineering Center, Fogler Library; Bethany Asquith, Cutler Health Center; Emma Banks, Student Employment; Gabriel Belanger, Fogler Library; Keith Berube and Keenan Goslin, AEWC Center; Ashleigh Briggs, Campus Activities; Shannon Coyle, Office of Student Records; April Davis and Kristen Sutherland, Bodwell Volunteer Center; Marie Dubord, Women’s Resource Center; Louis Fortin, Anthropology; Amy Mason and Jennifer Young, Department of Residence Life; Jennifer McCurry and Mandee Nadeau, Modern Languages and Classics; Sarah Michaud, Cooperative Extension 4-H Foundation; Naomi Muhlberg, Franco-American Centre; Emin Okutan, Maine Business School; Kelly Pelc, Connections Program; Lauren Reich, University Bookstore; Katie Wing, Maine Folklife Center; Lynn Wolfe, Campus Recreation-MaineBound; and Stephen York, Maine Christian Association.