Winners of two prestigious scholarships were announced during graduation ceremonies at the Rangeley Lakes Regional School on July 11.

Winnie LaRochelle received the Seasonal Friends of Rangeley Scholarship, and Mya Laliberte was awarded the Rangeley Lakes Region Legacy Scholarship.

Winnie will receive a multi-year stipend totaling $5,000, and Mya will get $1,500.

Both students were recognized for their strong academic records, activity in various school programs and participation in community service, which is a major criterion used in selecting recipients of these scholarships.

While attending RLRS, Winnie maintained honor roll grades, was a three-sport athlete and participated in multiple community service projects. She was named to both the National Honors and National Honors Technical societies, was elected class vice president and secretary, belonged to the Math Team and was chosen captain of her soccer, basketball and softball teams.

Winnie’s long list of community service activities ranged from participation in the volunteer Interact program and a number of senior citizen projects to mentoring a young student. Among awards she received were honors from the Daughters of the American Revolution, several All-Star and Best Athlete recognitions and an Unsung Hero Award.

Winnie will attend Central Maine Community College before transferring to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in criminology. Her long-term objective is to work as a detective in forensic science. She says her goal is “to be a positive influence in a community to help children and adults make better choices in their lives, to stay out of the criminal justice system.”

Mya – whose parents were teachers –- says that she always has had “a love for education,” and her record of achievements bears that out. She took all of the honors-level classes offered at Rangeley Lakes Regional School and a number of dual-enrollment courses with various Maine state universities. She is a member of the National Honors Society.

Mya achieved the Honor Roll/High Honor Roll each high school year, was named to the National Honors Society in grades 11 and 12 and was a member of the Math Team. She served as School Board Student Representative, on the Youth Leadership Team and as class vice president.

This partial list of accomplishments is dwarfed by Mya’s catalog of community service. From fundraising to environmental drives, coaching youth soccer to babysitting so parents could attend various meetings, she was ready, willing and able to step in when assistance was needed.

Mya has been accepted into Bates College with plans to attain a psychology degree and eventually become a lawyer. Given her passion for equal opportunity

and mental health, she hopes to foster the importance of education among others.

The Seasonal Friends of Rangeley Scholarship, now in its 26rd year, is funded by visitors to, and seasonal residents of, the Rangeley Lakes region, as a way to thank those who live there for sharing its many attributes. The Legacy Scholarship is supported by permanent residents of the area. Contributions to it may be made in honor or memory of a person, living or deceased.

The Directors of the scholarship program are Rebekah Carmichael, Rangeley Town Treasurer; Heidi Deery, Student Services Director at the Rangeley Lakes Regional School; Leeanna J. Wilbur, Vice President and Branch Manager, Franklin Savings Bank, and one anonymous seasonal resident. Scholarship recipients are selected by a committee of high school teachers.

Contributions to the Seasonal Friends of Rangeley Scholarship and the Legacy Scholarship, which are tax deductible, may be sent to P.O. Box 321. Rangeley, ME 04970. Donors receive a receipt for tax purposes and the thanks of the deserving students who benefit from this very worthwhile program.

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