FARMINGTON — Jessie Walker has been awarded a 2016 Next Step Maine Employee of Promise scholarship.

Walker, currently employed at Sugarloaf, was nominated by her employer because of her outstanding commitment to balancing work and family, and her passion to complete her degree.

Scholarship recipients are adult learners currently taking college courses to complete their degrees.

Next Step Maine is a free statewide initiative that awards funds to Maine employees who are currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree, associate degree or certificate program. The recipients were selected from 40 applicants from a variety of Maine companies and many educational institutions. The program is part of the Maine Development Foundation, a private non-partisan membership organization that drives sustainable long-term economic growth for the state of Maine.

Walker, her family and her employer were recognized at a special breakfast awards ceremony on June 10 in Augusta.

“We are extremely pleased with the progress the Next Step Maine program is making to help Maine’s workforce continue with their education and training,” said Yellow Breen, president of Maine Development Foundation. “There were double the number of applicants compared to last year and overall we raised $35,600 for scholarship funds, which is double from last year, as well.”

Scholarships are available for employees of Next Step Maine employers, committed employers who have joined a no-cost statewide initiative to advance the educational attainment of Maine’s workforce.

FMI: www.nextstepmaine.org.

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