Gail Bennett of Minot has been selected as the Student of the Year at Central Maine Community College. She and six other Maine community college students were honored for their academic success and campus and community involvement at a ceremony in Augusta hosted by the Maine Community College System board of trustees.

The award winners were selected by college faculty and staff. Each student was awarded a John H. Lapoint Jr. Leadership Award in the amount of $1,000.

An accounting major who plans to graduate this summer, Bennett has served as president of the CMCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges. She has been active with the Women in Technology group, and has served as a tutor and mentor for other students, working with them in business math, algebra and accounting.

Bennett decided to pursue her degree after losing her job in 2009. A high-honors student who has had to balance her studies with many other commitments, she was also honored recently for her achievements as one of two CMCC students named to the All-Maine Academic Team. Upon graduation, Bennett hopes to reenter the workforce and explore options to pursue a bachelor’s degree. She lives in Minot with her husband and two sons.