JAY — Faith Maurais is the recipient of the 2024 Principal’s Award at Spruce Mountain High School.

Valedictorian of the Class of 2024 and a resident of Jay, her parents are Philip and Stacie Maurais. The Maine Principal’s Award, sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association [MPA], is given in recognition of a high school senior’s academic achievement and citizenship.

The Livermore Falls Advertiser reached out to Maurais to learn more about her time at Spruce Mountain and future plans.

The most challenging subjects for Maurais are math classes above the level of algebra II. “I have to put more time into my math classes than my other classes because it doesn’t come as easily to me,” she noted. “I still do very well in my math classes, but they are definitely the most challenging for me.”

Maurais is the recipient of numerous other awards during her time at Spruce Mountain. The list and explanation for some follows:

2020

• December: French Award

2021

• February: Visual Art Award

• May: Student of the Quarter

• December: Rock of Ages Award

2022

• Coaches Award for assisting my coach on the Tennis Team

• February: Student of the Month Award

• February: Honors Chemistry Award

• AP US History Award

• November: Student of the Month Award 2023

• March: Anatomy and Physiology Award

• Nomination for Dirigo State

• The National Small Town Recognition Award – Big Future College Board Award because of my GPA and my  “outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and/or AP® Exams.”

• July: AP Scholar Award – For receiving scores of 3 or higher on at least three AP Exams

2024

• Community Service Award

Community Service has become a huge part of life for Maurais, more so in the past two years. She makes a point to help her community when she has time and has supported many local projects as a member of National Honor Society:

• Volunteered at a Fill the Fuel Tank Fundraiser for the American Legion in 2022.

• Helped hand out candy at the SMES Trunk or Treat in 2022.

• Helped hand out Thanksgiving food baskets to our community in 2022 and 2023.

• Volunteered as a graduation usher in 2023.

• Volunteered at the primary school field day in 2023.

• Given 8th grade tours of the high school in 2023.

• In 2022, planted tulips in partner with the Yellow Tulip Project around all of the signs in our district to raise awareness and show solidarity with those struggling with their mental health

Maurais is NHS vice president and Community Service Committee leader. “Through this role this year, I have organized different card-making and signing events in our school to support our community and those in the communities around us,” she noted. “This NHS tradition started when a boy from our community, Sean Hiscock, tragically passed away in a car accident. Our NHS organized card signings in remembrance of him for his family.

“This event really hit our school and community hard and it was felt deeply for a long time afterwards. I saw the way that card signings and card-making could make things a tiny bit easier for people who were struggling as it showed that there were others that were thinking of them and supporting them. Since then, I organized birthday card makings for a little girl named Allyssa Cole who passed away from her terminal illness a month later. Even though I did not know her personally, hearing about her illness and her 10th birthday around the corner made me want to do something meaningful for her and her family, even if it was small. I have also organized a second birthday card making for one of our students in the high school who was in the hospital over his birthday recently, and I have organized a card-making event to donate holiday cards to the Franklin Memorial Hospital and the Sandy River Nursing Home.”

Maurais was also involved in community service at the middle school level. After the explosion at the LEAP building in Farmington in 2019, she and her classmates raised money to support those who had lost their homes. She also wrote an article about it for the paper.

More recently Maurais has volunteered at the 2022 Apple Pumpkin Festival and In 2023 joined the community service club at school. “We made holiday cards for children in hospitals and we made no-sew blankets to donate to a local homeless shelter,” she noted. “I have also been a part of the Saint Rose of Lima Youth Group and have volunteered at their food bank, handed out Christmas baskets, and volunteered for almost 80 hours at their thrift store. I also helped rebuild a community member’s porch and house siding with my youth group in 2021 to provide her with a safer and warmer place to live.”

What Maurais likes about helping others is that she gets to see the impact it makes on people in real-time. “I think there are a lot of things in this world that are depressing or hurtful and it is just nice to be able to truly help people in any way that you can. I think helping others is something that everyone should do if they can. It doesn’t have to be a massive elaborate thing, but something small here and there that really makes an impact. I think that everyone at least once in their life should volunteer to help those around them because it really gives you a different perspective on life and makes you appreciate what you have more. It’s not hard to give a little bit of your time to others. That’s why, despite always having a lot of responsibilities on my plate, I try to do what I can when I can. It is just something I think is important and something that I think the world needs a little more of.”

Maurais played soccer while in middle school, was team captain in 8th grade. She also played soccer her freshman year plus two years of tennis, “Life got too busy so I had to prioritize other things,” she noted. “Other than playing soccer, dance has been my main sport for almost all my life. I have been dancing with Thomas Performing Arts Center for around 12 years now. I have also been on their competition dance team for four years. For two years in a row, I have been their Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.”

Maurais said she has found a second family with her dance team. “We are always supporting each other and building each other up,” she said. “I am thankful to my dance teachers for creating safe spaces where we can express ourselves and when we fail, we are encouraged to get right back up again. I think being on the competition dance team has built my confidence as a performer a lot, and has also allowed me to open up and come out of my shell more.”

Maurais stated she used to be extremely shy, but now doesn’t even think twice about it. “I attend classes two times a week for multiple hours and it is something I look forward to every week because I not only get to let off stress, but I get to bond with my dance family,” she noted. “Dance has helped me build my resilience, my courage, and my patience. I am forever thankful for the opportunities and experiences I have been able to receive from dance and I know that I will take the skills and mindset with me wherever I go. I also know that wherever I go in life I will always have a home at TPAC.”

In 2021, Maurais won the VFW Red, White, and Blue annual contest. Open to youth in grades K-12, singing of the Star-Spangled Banner is recorded on video and submitted. Entries are judged on vocal ability, mastery of lyrics, originality, and interpretation and entertainment value. She also sang the National Anthem at 9/11 services in Livermore Falls in 2021 and 2022.

Singing has also been part of Maurais’ drama journey, which began in elementary school. Roles and plays she performed in during middle and high school are:

• Kate in Legally Blonde, SMMS

• Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, SMMS

• Ladybug in James in the Giant Peach, SMMS It was canceled due to COVID-19 shortly before the performance.

• Yvette in Clue, SMHS

• Audrey in Little Shop Of Horrors, SMHS

• Annabeth in The Lightning Thief, SMHS

Maurais has also participated in One Acts drama competitions for three years in a row. “Like dance, drama has provided me with a creative outlet and a place to sing [one of my favorite hobbies],” she noted. “I have found a third family with my drama cast and like dance, I have come out of my shell and found a place to let off stress. I have made a ton of memories in drama and learned a lot of skills that I will remember for a long time in the future. I’m super bummed that it’s my last year of drama, but I can’t wait to come back and watch their shows and support them.”

Maurais and Plourde will attend the Honors Luncheon on Saturday, April 6, which recognizes the award recipients with individual plaques. Ten $1,000 scholarships in the names of Horace O. McGowan and Richard W. Tyler, former Maine principals and executive directors of the association. The Principal’s Award is presented in more than 100 Maine high schools by member principals.

“Throughout her years at Spruce Mountain High School, Faith Maurais has distinguished herself in the classroom, leader in co-curricular activities, as a volunteer, and a very active community community member,” Plourde noted. “She is an outstanding young woman that loves her community, and has made a positive impact through volunteerism.”

March is Women’s History Month and Maurais through her many achievements and accomplishments is already making a difference for those around her. She was asked about challenges she might see in her future and overcoming them.

“As a young person today, it’s hard to really know what type of challenges I will face in the future,” Maurais noted. “The world is changing so fast now and there are so many new technological advancements and worries, that I think for me it’s easier to just take it one day at a time. Nobody knows what their life is going to lead to in 5, 10, 15 years, so I just think about reaching different goals. My next goal is to graduate college with my degree and find a good job. I think that’s all I can really worry about controlling. Everything else will fall in place when it needs to.”

Maurais plans to attend University of New Hampshire where she will major in wildlife and conservation biology. “I hope to eventually dual major in marine biology as well,” she noted.. After I graduate I intend to work for National Parks in the United States and help them maintain their wildlife populations. Conservation and rehabilitation of animals are very important to me as I have always loved nature and, of course, wildlife.”

She decided on this career because she knows she can use her passion for animals and love of science to help keep the environment healthy and save wildlife. “I really want to focus on maintaining the line between human activities and nature in National parks because I believe that while National parks are extremely important from an educational and enjoyment aspect, we have to remember that the animals that live there rely on that habitat to maintain themselves and we should mitigate our impact on them directly,” she noted. “I have always wanted to have my “office” outdoors and It has always been important to me to constantly be learning new things and experiencing new things, so I think this career is perfect for me.”

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