Mayo ALS scholarship program recognizes 4 winners

Mayo ALS Scholarship Chairman Joe Pietroski, left, recently visited with Madison Levesseur and her father, Real Levesseur, who has ALS, to discuss the award and school progress. Submitted photo

This year marks the 20th of up to $5,000 in Joseph W. Mayo ALS Scholarships being awarded to Maine men and woman attending traditional and nontraditional educational programs in memory of Mayo, a former state representative from Thomaston.

ALS is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Four Maine high school or GED graduates in 2022-23 will join dozens of other scholarship recipients from throughout the state in receiving scholarships.

Madison Levasseur of Whitefield, a graduate at Hall-Dale High School in Farmingdale and now a junior at the University of Alabama, will receive a third scholarship to assist her with reaching her educational goals. The daughter of Real Levasseur of Madison has assisted her father through his struggles with ALS.

Hannah Roy of Auburn, a graduate of Edward Little High School and now a junior in the nursing program at St. Joseph’s College in Windham, will also receive her third scholarship. Roy grew up assisting her family with the care of her grandmother, who had ALS.

Emma Roy of Lewiston, a graduate of St. Dominic’s High School, is about to enter her freshman year at Dominican University in San Rafael, California. Emma and Hannah are cousins, who were helpful with aiding her grandmother.

The fourth scholarship recipient is Charla Burnett of Winterport. A social worker with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Burnett spent many years caring for her mother during her time with ALS. Her scholarship award will assist her with obtaining a nursing degree from Beal University in Bangor.

Additional information on the Joseph W. Mayo ALS Scholarship Program for the 2023-24 year can be obtained from the Maine Community Foundation at mainecf.org/scholarships.