On April 6, 2005, over 50 juniors and seniors from all eight Androscoggin County High School’s (and one home schooled student) participated in the OPI CONSULTING ANDROSCOGGIN-OPOLY SCHOLARSHIP CHALLENGE, put on by the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce.

The Lewiston High School cafeteria was hopping with excitement as students quickly caught on to the rules of the modified version of Monopoly®. “Their enthusiasm was great to see,” commented Art Boulay, CEO of the Challenge’s major sponsor, OPI Consulting.

As the number of winners dwindled down the atmosphere got more intense. In the end, only five made it to the final round and only one was crowned the winner…Renée Meservier from St. Dominic Regional High School. She walked away with a $1000 scholarship! The four runner-ups, David Labonte, Lewiston High School, Andrew Moreau, Livermore Falls High School, Justin Libby, Poland Regional High School and Alex Chartier, Leavitt Area High School each earned a $250 Scholarship. Not bad for just playing a game!

No one went away empty handed though. Each participant got a goodie-bag filled with lots of great prizes, a Scholarship Challenge t-shirt and lots of good eats! “We couldn’t have done all this without the generous support of our Chamber members,” stated Jan Barrett, Chamber Scholarship Challenge Committee Chair.

This is just the beginning of a fun new way to earn money for college. Keep an eye out next spring for registration for the ANDROSCOGGIN-OPOLY SCHOLARSHIP CHALLENGE!

A very special thanks to guidance counselors Don Bonneau of St. Dominic Regional High School, Tom Mauzy of Lewiston High School, and Sandra Milne of Edward Little High School for all your help! And a very heartfelt thanks to all our sponsors: Major Sponsor: OPI Consulting; Hotel Sponsors: Andover College, Bangor Savings, Citistreet, Skelton, Taintor & Abbott PA, Tambrands, Inc., and USM L-A College. House Sponsors: Action Computers, American Mortgage Market, Inc., Androscoggin Title Company, Auburn Manufacturing, Central Distributors, Clover Health Care, Donovan’s Auto, Electrical Systems of Maine, Emergency Vehicles of Maine, Inc., Emerson Auto Group, Encompass Marketing and Design, First Horizon Home Loan, Ron & Joanne Lebel, Chip & Jane Morrison, MSAD #52 River Valley Adult and Community Education, Neokraft Signs, Inc., Oxford Networks, Pike Industries, Pontbriand Hardware Corp., Realtors Kevin & Trisha Fletcher, Richard Kendall, Roy’s Driving Academy, Safe Handling, Inc., Ste. Croix Federal Credit Union, United Ambulance, Wahlco Metroflex Ware Street Inn, and Webber Energy Fuels. Food Sponsors: Sam’s Italian Food, Canteen Services, Papa John’s, Poland Spring Bottling Company and Hannaford. In-Kind Sponsors: Sun Journal and Paper Pushers Plus.