Waldo Community Action Partners awards four scholarships

BELFAST – Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP) announces four Waldo County scholarship recipients for the 2024-2025 school year.

The four scholarships, each worth up to $2,000, went to Waldo County High School seniors who are attending secondary school. Preference was given to students majoring in construction, education, early childhood education, child development, social work or human services.

“Our goal is to increase equitable access to educational opportunities while strengthening the future workforce in areas where nonprofits like Waldo CAP need trained and skilled workers to support our mission and improve our communities,” said Donna Kelley, president and CEO of WCAP, in a press release.

This year’s scholarship recipients include:

Sophia Birocco plans to major in early childhood education in the fall. She graduated from Belfast Area High School and says she has a passion for working with children and teaching. She has worked as a counselor at a summer camp and as a lifeguard for the Waldo County YMCA. She has played softball and tennis, was on her high school’s swim team and has participated in community beautification projects in Belfast and Bangor.

Nevyn Harvey will attend the University of Maine at Farmington in the fall and study secondary education. She graduated from Belfast Area High School. She has worked with her father painting, helped neighbors with gardening and yard work, and worked as a kitchen helper at Magnolia Assisted Living. She has been involved in numerous clubs and organizations at her school, was a member of the National Honors Society, and was one of five girls selected for the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute. She has played tennis and was on the cheerleading team at BAHS. Nevyn has also tutored and mentored her classmates and helped with various community events.

Jayden Langlois plans to study nursing in the fall. She is a graduate of Belfast Area High School and has worked locally in the hospitality industry at Homeport Tavern and Bell the Cat. Jayden is a member of the National Honors Society and has participated in the Can We? Project and Maine Youth Action Network. She was part of a marine biology after school group and completed an internship with the school district’s occupational therapists. In her community, Jayden has helped with events such as Breakfast with Santa at the Shrine Club and organizing school events.

Emily Mellon plans to study radiologic technology at Kennebec Valley Community College. She graduated from Searsport District High School, where she served on the student council and prom committee. She has worked in the community providing auto detailing and door dashing, as well as working as a tailgating lobster boat and as a sales associate at Out on a Whimsy. Emily played basketball and soccer at her high school and participated in numerous community events, including volunteering at a nursing facility. She has also volunteered on projects involving physical and environmental improvements in the community.

Scholarships are paid in installments of $1,000 for two semesters during the student’s freshman year of college. Recipients must submit a transcript of the completed first semester in which the student has a grade point average of 2.5 or better in order for WCAP to release the first disbursement and for the student to be eligible for a second disbursement upon successful completion of the next semester.

Eligibility for the scholarship includes academic components as well as residency requirements. In addition, students applying for the scholarship are expected to be involved in their high school and community.

“We are specifically looking for community-minded individuals with leadership qualities,” Kelley said. “Involvement in their high school and their communities demonstrates a commitment to people and community, and that is what Waldo CAP is all about. It is important that we encourage the development of these qualities in students from diverse backgrounds who are our potential future community leaders.”

For more information about WCAP scholarship opportunities, contact Waldo Community Action Partners at 207-338-6809 or email [email protected]. Scholarship applications are open each spring for the following school year.

About WCAP: Waldo Community Action Partners is a nonprofit, educational, private 501(c)(3) organization based in Belfast, Maine. It is dedicated to leveraging and mobilizing public and private resources to help low-income residents of Waldo County alleviate poverty and address its root causes. For more information, visit www.waldocap.org.