LEWISTON – Attorney Thomas P. Peters II, as representative of the trustee, is accepting applications for the Alice Austin and Mary Schuman Scholarship Fund, now in its 10th year.

The scholarship is a trust established in memory of Alice Austin and Mary Schuman, two sisters born in Leeds. They recognized that a fundamental component of good education is highly trained and motivated teachers that encourage their students to excel and to reach their full potential.

The scholarship fund is intended to assist students from the Lewiston-Auburn-Greene area pursuing studies in the field of education. The fund intends to follow the student through four years of college so long as he or she remains committed to teaching as a profession and continues in good academic standing as determined by the fund trustees.

The scholarship is expected to be in the range of $2,000 a year. Those applying for the first time must meet the following criteria:

1. Graduating student from Lewiston, Edward Little, St. Dominic Regional or Leavitt Area High School Class of 2008.

2. Three letters of recommendation that address the following: character, academic ability, community service, work history, moral character and financial need. Only one letter may be from an individual in the academic field.

3. Copy of the student’s transcript for all high school years. An essay written by the student titled “Why I Want to be a Teacher”. The essay should be typed, double-spaced on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and not exceed three pages in length.

5. Picture of the student taken in the year of graduation.

6. Signed release (provided in the application packet) allowing for the student’s name and picture to be released by the trustee as a recipient of the Alice Austin and Mary Schuman Scholarship Fund.

Applications have been forwarded to the following high schools for distribution:

Lewiston High School, Edward Little High School, St. Dominic Regional High School and Leavitt Area High School. Students should see their principals or guidance department for an application packet. Deadline for receipt of completed applications is Monday, March 30.

Applications should be forwarded to: Alice Austin and Mary Schuman Scholarship Fund, c/o Thomas P. Peters II, Esq., Trustee Representative, 937 Main St., Lewiston, ME 04240-5154.