Aroostook Aspirations Initiative names board members

AROOSTOOK COUNTY — The Aroostook Aspirations Initiative, an innovative county-wide project that supports educational aspirations and economic development, has announced its board of directors. The governing body is comprised of 20 business and community leaders, and includes both a local high school and a college student.
“We are so fortunate to have a group of well-established leaders, all of whom have incredible passion for helping the youth of Aroostook County pursue higher education and contribute to the economic development and overall betterment of our community,” said Sandy Gauvin, president of the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative board of directors. “These individuals will be instrumental as we move this project forward.”
In addition to Gauvin of Mapleton, who is a retired educator, board leadership is comprised of AAI’s two other project founders: Jason Parent, a native of the St. John Valley who now lives in Caribou and works as director of advancement for TAMC, serves as vice president; and Ray Gauvin, Sandy’s husband and the retired owner of Advantage Payroll, serves as a director.
Other directors include Matt Bell of Ashland, owner of Northeast Pellets, LLC; Sharon Campbell of Presque Isle, U.S. Sen. Angus King’s office; Gregg Collins of Caribou, vice president of SW Collins Co.; Chris Fitzpatrick of Houlton, regional vice president for the northern Maine region of Machias Savings Bank; Virginia Joles of Mapleton, retired director of communications for Bangor Hydro/Maine Public Service; John Lisnik of Presque Isle, consultant for the University of Maine System; Lisa Miles of Houlton, general manager for Townsquare Media; Lucy Richard of Presque Isle, women’s health practitioner, TAMC; Sonja Plummer of Presque Isle, librarian, Turner Memorial Library; Peter St. John of Winterville Plantation, senior vice president of commercial services for Katahdin Trust Co.; Steve St. Pierre of Presque Isle, vice president and business banking senior relationship manager of Keybank; Scott Smith of Mapleton, farm manager for Cavendish; Bonnie Titcomb Lewis of Raymond, development officer at the University of Southern Maine; Jane Towle of Presque Isle, co-owner of Remax Central; and Mike Young of Presque Isle, senior vice president/chief financial officer at MMG Insurance.
The two other board directors represent the secondary and higher education student population, who the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative is designed to benefit. They are Michaela Dubé of Mapleton, a sophomore at Presque Isle High School and Olivia Garrison of Mars Hill, a sophomore at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
The Aroostook Aspirations Initiative is designed to provide significant opportunities for young people in northern Maine to pursue their dreams, and, in turn, support higher education institutions and bolster economic development efforts in the region. The project was publicly launched in April 2013.
The effort involves six components all aimed at encouraging, supporting and motivating young people to pursue higher education opportunities in Aroostook County. The first is the Gauvin County Scholarship, which, beginning in the fall of 2014, will initially award a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior at each of the 16 high schools in Aroostook County.
Priority awarding of the scholarships across Aroostook will be to disadvantaged students — those who represent the first generation in their family to attend college and those who are economically disadvantaged. Recipients will be students who have chosen to attend one of the four colleges in northern Maine — Northern Maine Community College, University of Maine at Fort Kent, UMPI, and Husson University’s Presque Isle site on the NMCC campus.
In addition to being project co-founders and serving on the board, the Gauvins are also the first major donors. The central Aroostook couple, well known for their generosity to numerous community causes, have gifted the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative $300,000. Additionally, they intend to bequeath a significant portion of their estate to the initiative.
The 10-year goal for the Initiative is to raise the endowment to $5 million to fund more than 100 scholarships for multiple years to Aroostook students. The inspiration and impetus behind the cause was born in the life experiences of Ray Gauvin.
The Gauvins and the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative board of directors are now asking the community to also help “pay it forward.” The Initiative was awarded official non-profit status and is capable of receiving gifts that will provide donors with the appropriate tax deduction.
For more information, visit the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative website at www.gauvinfund.org, e-mail info@gauvinfund.org or call 764-0876. Donations can be mailed to: Aroostook Aspirations Initiative, 26 North St., Box 138, Presque Isle, Maine 04769.