Post-Secondary Scholarship
The Waldo County Extension Association (WCEA) needs your help supporting local youth! For over a decade the WCEA has provided post-secondary education scholarships to students who are pursuing a career in a field that support the mission of Cooperative Extension “to help Maine people improve their lives through an educational process that uses research-based knowledge”. With a generous match from the Maine 4-H Foundation, we hope to build a scholarship program that will continue giving for many years.
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Past Winners: Waldo County Cooperative Extension Association Scholarship
History of the WCEA Scholarship
The WCEA scholarship was started by a generous and innovative Extension volunteer who chose to invest her time and money into the education of Waldo County youth. In order to fund the annual scholarship, the WCEA started a fundraising event called the Waldo County Garden Celebration. As the event became more popular and broadened in focus, it was renamed Rural Living Day, which still takes place today. As the cost of higher education increased and the scholarship amount increased to meet the needs of Waldo County youth, the annual fundraiser no longer supported the scholarship in its entirety.
Goals for the Campaign
The goal of the scholarship campaign is to build a self-sustaining fund that will provide an annual scholarship, regardless of the success of the annual fundraisers. The $20,000 fundraising goal will create a scholarship account that has the capacity to continue making post-secondary education attainable for Waldo County youth for years to come.
How to Donate
Donations can be made University of Maine Foundation’s Donate page or via check. Be sure to indicate “WCEA Scholarship” in the instruction box online or in the memo line. Checks can be made out to Maine 4-H Foundation and mailed to the
Donate
2023 Post Secondary Scholarship Application
Applicants must be pursuing a career in a field that supports the Cooperative Extension’s mission “to help Maine people improve their lives through an educational process that uses research-based knowledge.” Examples of eligible fields of study include, but are not limited to agriculture, horticulture, crop science, animal sciences, natural resource conservation, environmental sciences, home economics, nutrition, food systems, preventative health, youth development, and education.
Students who apply for this scholarship must complete the application and a 500 to 600 word essay discussing their future career goals and how this scholarship will help them achieve these goals. Applications must be returned to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office by April 1st.
A single scholarship recipient will be announced by April 15, 2023, with funds awarded following the completion of a successful first semester.
For more information, contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or call 207.342.5971 or 1.800.287.1426 (toll-free in Maine).
2023 Waldo County Cooperative Extension Association Scholarship Winner
The Waldo County Cooperative Extension Association is pleased to announce Madison R. as the recipient of the 2023 WCEA post-secondary scholarship.
Madison will be attending Husson University in the fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Madison is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives by helping them with mental health challenges. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Madison intends to continue her nursing education and earn a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing.
2022 Waldo County Cooperative Extension Association Scholarship Winner
The Waldo County Cooperative Extension Association is proud to announce Kairi P. as the recipient of the 2022 WCEA post-secondary scholarship.
Kairi is passionate about providing nutritious and accessible food for people with dietary restrictions and will be studying culinary arts at Eastern Maine Community College this fall. In the future, Kairi hopes to be able to provide dining options to those with dietary restrictions and to educate others about how to cook non-allergenic meals.
2021 Waldo County Cooperative Extension Association Scholarship Winner
The Waldo County Cooperative Extension Association is proud to announce Hailey H. as the recipient of the 2021 WCEA Scholarship for a Sustainable Future.
Hailey is planning on attending the University of Maine at Farmington to pursue her goal of becoming a teacher. Hailey aims to be an educator who can “think outside the box” and help youth develop a love for learning.