MEXICO — On Tuesday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m. at Region 9 on Route 2, Maine College Circle, with support from Dead River Company, will award 17 local student’s Western Maine Foothills Future of Maine College Aspirations Scholarships.

This is the second year Maine College Circle has conducted College Aspirations Workshops for grades 3-6 in area schools, which includes students from Washington County, Rumford, Mexico, Dixfield, Sumner, Buckfield, Peru and Hartford. The workshops discuss the idea of and value of higher education, the opportunities that are available for everyone and why college is valuable.

“This program gives our community the opportunity to support the aspirations of local students and plant a seed in young kid’s minds about the idea of going to college and the preparation required to get there,” said Natalie Sneller, a member of the scholarship committee that chooses recipients. “I think this is an excellent way to start students on the path towards higher education and to reward them for their efforts and enthusiasm.”

The scholarships are awarded to grade-school students based on an essay on college and career aspirations. Scholarships are redeemable upon enrollment in any post-secondary educational program.

“For some kids, college is naturally part of the plan throughout their childhood. For many kids, however, it’s not even thought of as a possibility. Not because they’re not smart enough, but because they can’t see a clear path of aspiration to their dream for the future,” says Bob Stuart, executive director of Maine College Circle. “Kids can’t aspire to something they don’t understand. But they all have dreams. What we do is illustrate that to achieve those dreams, you need some sort of education beyond high school. And we all recognize that we must reach them with information and inspiration while they are still in elementary school, before they choose another path.”

Maine College Circle provides educational information that students need to build a bright future and to make the most of the opportunity of higher education.

“Of course we want to encourage children toward four year degrees, but also toward vocational and technical education. We want them to aspire to greater knowledge, to careers in a profession or a trade. One way to get them excited about the possibility is to have them apply for our $100 College Aspirations Scholarships,” Stuart said. “Dead River Company has been a stalwart supporter, underwriting the scholarships that do so much to support each recipient’s aspirations. In addition, Dead River employees, like Kerry Burgess, the office manager in Rumford, do a great deal to get the local communities involved in supporting the educational aspirations of their youth.”