Ethan Pierce, grandson of N. Charles and Jan Strout of West Gardiner, participated in Harvard’s Freshman Urban Program of Service. The program engages students in social justice issues, providing an introduction to community service and activism at Harvard and in Boston. Participants and their upperclassmen leaders spent the week volunteering with Boston-area nonprofit organizations and learning about their new urban environment.

A graduate of Gardiner Area High School, Pierce found many opportunities to show leadership to service his school. He was President of the Student Council, and as a leader of the Civil Rights Team, he helped to raise awareness and money for the plight of people of Darfur and those of Afghanistan. As President of the Club Heads Organization, he played a pivotal role in the Thanksgiving Basket effort. Pierce also helped organize an MS walk and worked on the National Honor Society’s blood drives.

During high school, his activities also included the District III Music Festival, jazz band, concert band, band board, Student Council, Civil Rights Team, Math Team, varsity tennis, National Honor Society, Health Team, school paper, Pizzaz, Pizzaz Committee Chair, Drama Club, Spanish Club, Club Heads Organization, Art Club, chorus, Dirigo Boys State, Thanksgiving Baskets, MS walk and the musical.

Pierce received many awards in recognition of his commitment including the Gas Light Theater Award for Excellence in Theater Arts, the “Semper Fidelis” Award for Music by the U.S. Marine Youth Foundation, the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, GAHS Math Team High Scorer Award, Senior Band Award, Community Service Award, Top Ten Scholar, AP Scholar Award, Rotary Club Student of the Month, History Award, Gardiner Scholar with Honor, Central Office Art Purchase Award and Foreign Language Award.

Pierce has also exhibited his paintings in several shows and has sold nearly 100 pieces of his work.

Scholarships awarded to Pierce are from the GAHS Drama Club, the Jon Irish Memorial, Alex Somerville Memorial, Jessica Wise Scholarship, J. Walter Robinson Trust, GAHS Music Booster’s Organization, GAHS Student Council, Barking Foundation Trust and the Sen. George Mitchell Scholarship Institute.

On Aug. 16, Pierce was invited to attend a brunch in Orono with Sen. George Mitchell and other recipients of the Mitchell Scholarship. One student is selected from each high school in Maine to receive a $5,000 award along with a support system from the Mitchell Institute.