Travel Abroad Scholarship Recipients
George Mitchell Peace Scholarship
The George J. Mitchell Peace Scholarship honors the Northern Ireland peace accord brokered by Senator Mitchell between the governments and peoples of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The accord was reached on Good Friday, April 10, 1998, and accepted by vote of the citizens of Ireland and Northern Ireland on May 22, 1998. The Peace Scholarship is an agreement between Maine and Ireland for a student exchange at the University level. This scholarship covers tuition, fees, room, board, and travel expenses for one semester or academic year. Applicants must be undergraduate students, have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be a U.S. citizen.
There are two recipients of the George Mitchell Peace Scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year:
Adam Fortier-Brown is an Honors student double-majoring in Economics and Political Science. He will be attending the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland, for the Fall 2017 semester as a George Mitchell Peace Scholar. Adam plans to use his study in Cork to gain a different perspective on economics and European politics. He is also considering spending his Spring semester in Shanghai, China, to expand his experiences and cultural knowledge. Gaining skills through political and economic studies abroad will aid Adam in his long-term goal to run for public office.
Trevor Morin is a student majoring in Biochemistry, He will attend the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland, for the Spring 2018 semester. Trevor will use his time in Cork to gain different cultural perspectives and learn how to work collaboratively in the field of science on a cross-cultural scale. He intends to become as involved as possible in the University College Cork community by being an active member in clubs and organizations on campus.
Samantha Smith Scholarship
The Samantha Smith Scholarship is intended for students studying abroad in Russia or any of the former Soviet states. Samantha Smith was a Maine schoolgirl who visited the Soviet Union in 1982 to lobby Soviet President Yuri Andropov for peace between our nations. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be considered and must select an academic program approved by the University of Maine.
Brawley Benson is the recipient of the Samantha Smith Scholarship. Brawley is an International Affairs major and Economics minor who will be attending the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, in Moscow, Russia, for the Fall 2017 semester with CIEE. Brawley plans to gain great insight into diplomatic relationships and further his proficiency in the Russian language.
Annie P Norton Scholarship
This scholarship was established at UMaine in 2009 to honor Annie Norton for her dedication to family, teaching and education abroad. She was born in Antwerp, Belgium, graduated from UMaine and was a teacher of French and Spanish for more than 25 years in Bucksport High School and Hampden Academy. She believed that immersion in other cultures was critical to understanding ourselves and others. The scholarship is intended for undergraduate students who are studying abroad in countries where English is not the official language.
Emma Houston is a recipient of the Annie P Norton Scholarship. Emma is an Ecology and Environmental Science major and Economics minor who will be spending her Fall 2017 semester abroad in Cochrane, Chile, with Round River Conservation Studies. She will spend the majority of her program conducting research and collecting data from the Patagonia region.
Doris Berry Norton Travel Scholarship
This scholarship was established at the University of Maine in 1996 to support undergraduate students studying abroad and is intended for students who are studying abroad in countries where English is not the official language.
Rebecca Blodgett is a recipient of the Doris Berry Norton Travel Scholarship. Rebecca is a Childhood Development and Family Relations major who will be studying at the Southwest University for Nationalities in Chengdu, China, for the 2017-2018 academic year with USAC. While in China, Rebecca will focus on gaining a high level of proficiency in Mandarin and immerse herself in the culture. China is a great location for her as she intends to teach English as a foreign language in Asia after graduating from UMaine. Rebecca is also a recipient of the UMaine/USAC scholarship.
Direct Exchange Scholarship
There are multiple recipients of the Direct Exchange scholarship awarded to students going on a direct exchange program through UMaine. The award criteria is based on financial need, cumulative GPA, as well as, destination.
This year’s recipients:
Maegan Maheu is a Chemical Engineering major who will be attending the University of Aberdeen, in Aberdeen, Scotland, for the Fall 2017 semester. Maegan will be able to gain insight into the petroleum industry, which may guide her career direction after graduating.
Kimberly Crowley is an English major and Economics minor who will be attending the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland, for the Fall 2017 semester. Kim has been heavily influenced by many Irish authors and poets and will have a chance to explore their works more in-depth and from a different cultural perspective while in Ireland.
Michael Dunning is an Accounting and Finance major and Innovation Engineering minor who will be attending Bangor University, in Bangor, Wales, for the Fall 2017 semester. Michael hopes to gain new knowledge about European stock exchanges while abroad and build skills to gain success for life after college.
Braydon Norris is a Chemical Engineering major who will be attending the University of Aberdeen, in Aberdeen, Scotland, for the Fall 2017 semester. Braydon spent time in Germany and Denmark for international summer camps when he was younger and plans to further his cultural awareness while in Scotland by creating long-lasting bonds in the Aberdeen community.
Meredith Olivari is a Theatre major with a Studio Art minor who will be attending the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, for the Fall 2017 semester. Attending UEA will give Meredith the chance to explore new courses within her field in an historically and artistically rich setting.
Victoria Nolette is majoring in Accounting and Management and will be attending Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia, for the Fall 2017 semester. Victoria plans to build a strong academic resume with her semester at Griffith as it is AACSB accredited and provides course directly related to her interests.
Tyler Lang is a Zoology major who will be attending the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland, for the Fall 2017 semester. Tyler has always dreamt of seeing the world and while he has traveled before, this will be his first experience living away from Maine for an extended period of time.
Adwin Dougingu is a Marketing major who will be attending the Universidad de Carlos III in Madrid, Spain, for the Fall 2017 semester. Adwin is already involved with our international students on the UMaine campus and is planning to further understand cultural differences and diversity while abroad in Spain.
Eric Lindbom is a Mechanical Engineering major who will be attending the Universidad de Carlos III in Madrid, Spain, for the Fall 2017 semester. Eric’s goals are centered around clean and sustainable energy solutions; his semester in Spain will help him work towards these goals while also providing him with an opportunity to immerse himself in a new culture.
UMaine/USAC Scholarship
There are multiple recipients for the UMaine/USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium) Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to students studying abroad through USAC programs.
This year’s recipients:
Lee Brown is an International Affairs major and Professional Writing minor who will be attending La Universidad Politècnica de València, in Valencia, Spain for the Fall 2017 semester with USAC. Lee has appreciated cultural differences from a young age and plans to immerse herself in the Spanish culture for a deeper appreciation and to further her proficiency in the Spanish language.
Grace Kelley is a Nursing major who will be attending the University of the Basque Country in San Sebastián, Spain, for the Fall 2017 semester with USAC. Grace has wanted to be a nurse from a young age, and immersing herself in the Spanish culture and furthering her proficiency in the Spanish language, will help her gain valuable skills to enable her for future volunteer and missionary work.
Jarrod Joy is an International Affairs major who will be attending the University of Lyon II, in Lyon, France, for the Fall 2017 semester with USAC. By studying and living in a large city in France, Jarrod hopes to develop individually and academically through coursework and experiences in a new culture.
Jesse Evans is a Psychology major and Neuroscience minor who will be attending Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, for the Summer 2017 semester with USAC. Jesse plans to be a clinical psychologist, so gaining a deeper awareness of cultural differences will help him better understand how people’s diverse backgrounds affect their thinking processes.
UMaine/SIT Scholarship
This scholarship is intended for students studying abroad through SIT (School for International Training) programs.
Maxwell Dorman is the recipient of the UMaine/SIT scholarship. Max is an Ecology and Environmental Science major with a Molecular Biology minor who will be participating in the SIT Nepal Program, “Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples”, for the Fall 2017 semester. Max spent two weeks in Rwanda which was a trip that left him forever changed and led his desire to study abroad. Spending a semester in Nepal conducting independent research through the program will help Max gain the experience, knowledge, and skills to work towards a goal of creating a non-governmental organization (NGO) to benefit less developed countries suffering from the affects of climate change.
Pictured left to right: Front Row: Jesse Evans, Victoria Nolette, Lee Brown
Second Row: Eric Lindbom, Jarrod Joy, Adam Fortier- Brown, Tyler Lang, Rebecca Blodgett. Kimberly Crowley, Grace Kelley.
Third Row: Brawley Benson, Michael Dunning, Braydon Norris, Meredith Olivari