KVCC Students Receive MEREDA Scholarships
FAIRFIELD—Two Kennebec Valley Community College students each received a $1,500 scholarship from the Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) for study during the current academic year.
Sharon Dearborn of Newport is a second-year Business Administration – Accounting major.
April Knapik of Fairfield is a second-year Business Administration – Marketing major.
Dearborn and Knapik are two of 14 Maine community college students to receive a scholarship from MEREDA this year. This is the third year the association has provided the scholarship. To qualify, a student must be a Maine resident, have financial need, and be enrolled as a secondyear student in a business, building trades, architecture, construction, or engineering program at a Maine community college.
MEREDA raised the funds for the scholarships through its annual “Strikes for Scholars” bowl-athon in May. The association’s goal is to raise enough each year to fund at least one scholarship at each of Maine’s community colleges and support Maine students as they prepare for careers in areas that promote MEREDA’s mission of responsible development and ownership of real estate throughout the state. This year, enough funds were raised to provide scholarships to two students at each of the seven Maine community colleges.
“MEREDA has identified workforce development as critically important to the future of real estate development,” said Paul Peck, MEREDA president and an attorney with Drummond & Drummond, LLP in Portland. “The building trades and professions provide high-paying, lifelong opportunities for our residents. We are pleased to help these deserving students achieve their goals, and our members look forward to the contributions they will make to our industry.”
Ranked among America’s best two-year colleges, Kennebec Valley Community College offers more than 35 programs and is recognized as the best value in higher education. The college has invested nearly $25 million over the past three years, opening a new campus, upgrading infrastructure, expanding program offerings, and ensuring the highest-quality instruction. More than 94 percent of KVCC graduates find jobs in their field or continue to a four-year college or university. KVCC provides an affordable and practical path to success with small class sizes, excellent support services, and flexible scheduling. KVCC has the lowest tuition in New England, yet most students receive generous financial aid packages to cover the cost of tuition and fees.