One college student hopes to major in environmental studies or economics, another in the area of solar energy. A different young woman says she will be able to graduate with a degree in business management in three years rather than four because of a scholarship she received.

These enterprising students are among former graduates of the Rangeley Lakes Regional School who received either of two prestigious grants: The Seasonal Friends of Rangeley, or Legacy, Scholarship.

Since 1996, those programs have been supported by visitors to, and both seasonal and permanent residents of, the area. Among criteria used in selecting winners are academic achievements, participation in school activities and a strong record of community service.

Mya Laliberte was the 2022 recipient of the Legacy Scholarship, which is funded by Rangeley region residents. She is attending Bates College in Lewiston, and hopes to “give back to the community” after she attains her degree in environmental studies or economics.

Mya says she would not have been able to “grow and learn within a community without the scholarship.” He advice to Rangeley Lakes Regional School students is to “work hard to pursue what you’re passionate about,” and be aware that opportunities exist “through scholarships like this one.”

Autumn-Skye Williams used her Seasonal Friends of Rangeley scholarship funds to enroll in the University of Maine in Orono, then transfer to North Carolina State University. Another hoped-for transfer there is into an Electrical Engineering Renewable Systems major. Her ultimate goal is to research “how we can optimize transferring and storing solar energy, and utilize the technology in everyday factors.”

A career in business is the ultimate objective of Lauren Eastlack, a student at the University of Maine at Orono. After graduating next spring, she will continue her education to seek a Master’s Degree in business administration,

Lauren notes that winning the Legacy Scholarship “pushed me to make everyone proud and do the best I can in school.” She adds that “I am continuously grateful that I received this scholarship and hope it will motivate others as much as it has me.”

Lauren Farmer is following a different path. She’s a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, studying art, film, animation and comics. She plans to work in the film and animation industries and to self-publish her own comics.

Lauren says her Legacy Scholarship “has enabled me to study art in a way no other school would allow.” She calls it “a reminder of the support the Rangeley community gave me growing up, and still gives me as I go off on my own.”

The Seasonal Friends of Rangeley Scholarship 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; Seth Noonkester, AVP/Branch Manager, Franklin Savings Bank, and one anonymous seasonal resident.

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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