LEWISTON — A high school football player fighting domestic violence. A Somali teen working to combat the stigmas facing her peers.

That is the work of Dominic Ferry of Naples and Zamzam Elmoge of Lewiston, two young people being celebrated by Berman & Simmons in its inaugural Youth Leaders Award.

The award gives eligible Maine student advocates who are involved in a community project a $500 scholarship toward their education, and a $250 award toward their select cause.

Berman & Simmons’ goal is to showcase the exceptional work these students are doing while giving them a voice to share their passions with the world.

For the past several years, Ferry has been supporting children affected by domestic violence through a nonprofit called Quiet Cries, which partners with Safe Voices.

Founded by Ferry while in middle school, with help from his grandfather, Quiet Cries collects blankets, diapers and other items to distribute to organizations that work with children affected by abuse and violence. As a student, activist and athlete, Ferry got his football team at Thornton Academy to wear purple ribbons for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and was recently named “Most Respected Student Athlete” by his peers.

An aspiring filmmaker and diligent student, Elmoge sought to combat the stigma and stereotypes that Somali youth were facing in Lewiston. Her hard work led her to complete “REASON 4369,” a documentary she produced with other Lewiston High School filmmakers who are members of The GenZ Project.

The team interviewed 20 of their peers about the city’s reputation, their community and how they want to be remembered. Last summer, Zamzam was selected to attend AT&T and Reece Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Filmmaker Lab, a young women’s film production forum in Los Angeles.

Berman & Simmons welcomes nominations for the Youth Leaders Award. It is open to all Maine students who are actively enrolled in middle or high school and have been championing a cause they’re passionate about. Nominations for the next awards are due by Friday, Dec. 13.


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