Gift endows North Yarmouth Academy ‘character champion’

North Yarmouth Academy announced the receipt of a $400,000 gift to create and support a Character and Service Champion faculty position. The anonymous gift comes just ahead of the June 4 NYA Soirée, a major fundraiser for the academy. This year’s soirée will honor the dedication and excellence of the NYA faculty by investing in their professional development and resources.

The NYA Character and Service Champion will plan, implement and evaluate new and existing community service opportunities across all divisions. An emphasis will be placed on matching students with age-appropriate experiences in new environments with a variety of people.

“In our own children, NYA created a foundation for lifelong learning through shared community experiences, hands-on learning and relationship building,” the anonymous benefactors said. “In a world where respect, honesty and compassion are so needed, we wanted to ensure the NYA faculty had the support and resources needed to continue their important work in this area.”

Dollars for scholars

Didon Maombi Heri is the most recent Portland High School student chosen to receive the Step Up Award from Foundation for Portland Public Schools. Contributed / Portland Public Schools

The Foundation for Portland Public Schools announced Didon Maombi Heri as the latest Portland High School student chosen to receive the Step Up Award. The award provides funding for students in the Make It Happen! program who would otherwise have to forego extracurricular opportunities in order to work after school and/or on weekends. Didon, a rising junior at Portland High School, will receive $1,250 per semester until graduation for her last two years of high school.

Nine Maine community college students were awarded full-tuition scholarships in honor of Leon A. Gorman for the upcoming 2021-22 academic year, including Brian Determan of South Portland, who is studying marine science at Southern Maine Community College, and Astrid Mumpalala, also a South Portland resident, studying medical assisting at Southern Maine Community College.

Bourque

Congratulations to Simon Bourque of South Portland, who was recently presented with the DiPietro Memorial Scholarship by the Portland Water District Board of Trustees. Bourque is pursuing a degree in HVAC at Southern Maine Community College.