FARMINGTON — A local Maine Maritime Academy graduate recently donated award funds to Literacy Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties.

When Ben Russell of Farmington graduated summa cum laude from MMA in May, he was given the Phyllis Tenney Community Service and Leadership Award. The intent of the $1,000 award is to provide half for his own tuition needs and to donate the other half to a service or charitable organization of his choice.

“I wanted to give it to something I believe in,” Russell said Monday.

Growing up, family and friends were involved in Literacy Volunteers making him aware of the organization’s mission to help improve local residents’ reading and writing skills.

LVFSC received the funding to help with general expenses and perhaps support some mileage needs for the coordinator of teen tutor teams, Becky Jasch, director said. Russell’s gift came after he learned of FVFSC’s need of funding, she added.

“LVFSC offers one-on-one tutoring to students who need help with literacy issues,” she said. “There is no charge for any of the services. LVFSC is dependent on the goodwill of the community to pay operational costs.”

Jasch is Russell’s aunt, but it was his grandmother, Margaret “Peg” Morrill, who first raised his awareness of the organization.

She was involved in bringing Literacy Volunteers to Maine and Augusta and then active in the local group after she moved to Farmington, Jasch said.

Morrill also encouraged a love for reading in her own children and grandchildren.

She would develop treasure hunts for all of us, Russell said, remembering her efforts to continue his reading.

Her clues challenged and the level increased as he progressed. Treasure hunts are a great tool for kids, he said.

“When he didn’t understand the words, his grandmother would help him sound out the words and look up words in the dictionary,” Jasch said.

During his years at MMA, Russell helped other students, tutoring them in several classes, he said.

This award was based on community service, academics, sports and things like tutoring and being a teacher assistant.

Community service involved campus clubs that worked with local kids, he said. He also developed a road race last summer for the Mt. Blue High School soccer team where $1,800 was raised.

“Sports was everything,” he said, of his high school years at Mt. Blue.

Although he played soccer and basketball four years at MMA, captain of both teams this past year, there was a shift in priorities from sports to academics and community involvement, he said.

In his first year at MMA, he was given an achievement award. The donor, a man in his 80s, advised Russell to take advantage of his college opportunities and make the most of them.

“I promised I would,” Russell said.

Russell graduated with a 3.96 grade point average and a degree in marine systems engineering. Along with his mechanical engineering degree, he has the license to sail out to sea, he said.

He was recognized as second in his class, Jasch said. He was also the MMA Athlete of the Year, Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned other awards.

This summer Russell spent 11 weeks at the Naval Service Warfare Center in Washington, D.C., where they design naval vessels, he said. During the experience he developed an interest in naval architecture.

He’s home for a few weeks before returning to MMA to take more classes and teach a precalculus class, he added.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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