Clark University is partnering with the Maine Seacoast Mission and the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund to launch the Davis Maine Scholarship — a full four-year scholarship for rural first-generation college students from Washington and eastern Hancock counties in Maine.
“We are creating this scholarship for students who excel in their studies, persist through hardship, and who will be among the first members of their families to go to college,” said Andrew Davis of the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund. “I very much look forward to supporting our college and high school partners on behalf of these exceptional young people. It is extremely exciting to play a role in showing the world what Down East students can achieve.”
According to Meredith Twombly, vice president of admissions and financial aid at Clark University, the Davis Maine Scholarship aligns with Clark’s commitment to providing a world-class education to deserving students of diverse backgrounds and circumstances. “We’re proud and excited to be part of this exceptional partnership and eager to work with Maine Seacoast Mission,” she said. “Working together, we’ll be able to provide funding and access to talented Maine students who might have otherwise never had the opportunity to explore or consider Clark.”
Davis Maine Scholarship Partner Colleges were selected based on their institutional commitment to increasing socio-economic diversity through programs and resources that successfully serve first-generation, low-income, rural students. Partner Colleges also demonstrate success with freshman retention and four-year college completion rates, especially among first-generation students.
“Coupled with the family and community strengths from which our Down East students come, the Davis Maine Scholarship will provide Davis Scholars what they need to prepare for, persist through, and successfully complete their undergraduate studies,” said Christina Griffith, Davis Maine Scholarship director at the Maine Seacoast Mission.
The first cohort of Davis Maine Scholars will be selected as high school juniors in fall 2020 from two partner high schools: Narraguagus in Harrington and Sumner Memorial in Sullivan. Prior to matriculating in fall 2022, the students will receive strategic college transition planning and support in the areas of research, admissions, and financial aid, as well as tools for personal and academic success. The Davis Maine Scholarship also includes family engagement workshops, reflecting the integral role of families to support students during their college years.
The Davis Maine Scholarship builds on the success of the Mission’s educational programs. For more than a century, the Mission has addressed multigenerational poverty in rural Washington and eastern Hancock counties through programs including the Mission Scholarship Program and the Ed Greaves Education K-12 youth development program.
John Zavodny, president of the Maine Seacoast Mission, said, “We are very pleased to be partnering with the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund to continue to provide Down East communities with greater access to higher education. This strong partnership will result in more college graduates, greater economic opportunity, and new roads toward promising futures.”
