Abbie vanLuling was the recipient of the Gorham Times Scholarship this year. vanLuling began interning with the Times in the fall of 2016 and contributed greatly to the newspaper during her two years with the paper.
Abbie vanLulingSchool Editor, Andrea Morrell, commented, “Abbie has been instrumental to the Gorham Times as an intern. She attended production meetings, took on any assignment that I asked her to do with eagerness and enthusiasm, met every deadline, and excelled at her writing and journalism skills. We wish her good luck as she begins a new chapter and have no doubt she will be successful in all that she does.” vanLuling will be attending Babson College in the fall.
Photo courtesy of Jen BanksTwo Martha T. Harris Scholarships were awarded at the Senior Awards Night. Pictured from left to right is Nolan Brown, Jennifer Banks and Owen Smith.
This year, Owen Smith and Nolan Brown were the recipients of the Martha T. Harris Memorial Scholarship. Harris, a lifelong Gorham resident who passed away from complications during chemotherapy in 2013, was a founding member of the Gorham Times. The scholarship is intended to keep her memory alive and honor Gorham seniors who would have had a connection to her, a love for things that she loved, or faced challenges that were handled with resolve.
Smith was selected for following his passion and his heart even when it’s not the easiest nor most inexpensive route. Harris’ daughter Jennifer Banks said, “He has given a lot of thought to his future and has chosen to stay in Maine and pursue the challenging field of mechanical engineering while studying and learning in a seacoast Maine town that would make my mother smile and grab her camera! This student’s high school career was challenged with a cancer diagnosis in his family. I have, from a distance, watched the family be strong, rebound and focus on what is most important in life.” Smith will attend Maine Maritime Academy.
Brown had a strong family connection to Banks and her mom since he was born. Banks said, “He shares her love of Maine, the outdoors, the changing sports seasons and she would be so proud of him for continuing his sports career at the college level, while taking his academics, attendance and his family so seriously. She would have been proud of his perseverance and how aggressively he commanded the fields that he played on.” Brown will study nursing at Husson College this fall.
The Gorham Times wishes these graduates much success in their future endeavors.