As students return home for the holidays, seniors in college are often asked the same question: “What are your plans for after graduation?” A group of Oceanside East alumni, who were recipients of the Worthington Scholarship for all four years of their college careers, each took a few minutes to chat with Caitlin Clark, the new Worthington Scholar mentor for students receiving the scholarship.

Oceanside High School students interested in learning more about the Worthington Scholarship, or any businesses  interested in hiring Worthington Scholars as paid interns this summer, should contact Clark at info@mainecollegecareerplanning.com or 207-390-0214.

Hannah Hersom
Occupational therapy major at Quinnipiac University — Hannah has been accepted into the Master’s in Occupational Therapy program at Quinnipiac, so she is starting to prepare herself for the rigors of graduate study. She is doing a fieldwork placement at a rehab facility this semester, and is enjoying her work with elderly patients. She thinks she might concentrate her studies on gerontology, and will be lining up further fieldwork this summer before beginning her Master’s program. She is active in leadership positions within her sorority and has enjoyed getting involved with philanthropy and service through those roles. She is also an active member of occupational therapy honor society Pi Theta Epsilon, and the allied health professions honor society, Altha Eta.

Emma Mason
Bio-engineering mjor, pre-med minor at the University of Maine — Emma has been an outstanding student at Orono, with a 4.0 GPA in a tough engineering curriculum. She has been going through the rigorous medical school application process, and has been offered interviews at 12 schools and admission so far to both Lincoln Memorial University Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tennessee and the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She holds leadership positions in Circle K, Alternative Breaks and the Health Professions Club, and is serving as a teaching assistant for organic chemistry.

Kyle Robinson
Economics major, sustainability minor at the University of Southern Maine — Kyle has had a variety of experiences at University of Southern Maine, including taking Chinese for the past 1.5 years and traveling to China last summer for three weeks. He has enjoyed his economics and sustainability classes and has worked for a Portland-based startup that converts garbage into garden compost. He is researching English teaching-abroad programs for next year and hopes to pursue teaching or further work in a start-up environment down the road. Kyle has served as president of the Honors Student Association for all four years at USM, works in the Honors program office and has partnered with the Students of Economic Interest group to encourage and lobby USM to change their dining services contract to a local vendor.

Benjamin Wallace
Marine engineering technology major at Maine Maritime Academy — Ben has been a stellar student at Maine Maritime, making the Dean’s list every semester and serving in the Regiment. He has traveled to Spain, and up and down the East Coast on the State of Maine training vessel. He is currently managing his senior courses and studying for the unlimited tonnage Coast Guard license exam in January. Once he passes the exam, he’ll start applying for jobs, and hopes to work in the Gulf of Mexico on a supply vessel. He serves on the Honor Board, and is enjoying his final year at MMA.

Allison Ward
Mathematics major, athletic coaching minor at the University of Southern Maine — Allison has a busy senior year ahead of her, balancing her upper-level math courses with student teaching placements. This semester, she is teaching at Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, and next semester she will be at Gorham Middle School. She plans to obtain her teaching certificate and teach middle or high school math in Maine after she graduates. Allison has been a competitive field hockey player on USM’s team, and is also involved with Circle K. She hopes to stay involved with field hockey as a coach in future years.

The Worthington Scholarship Fund was established to benefit graduating seniors of Oceanside High School East in Rockland. Students graduating with a B average and attending one of the eligible post-secondary institutions (any campus of the University of Maine, any campus of the Maine Community College System, Maine Maritime Academy or Husson University) will be eligible to receive this scholarship. Awards will be $1,250 per semester, beginning with the second semester of the first year, and renewable at $1,250 per semester, up to a maximum of $2,500 per year for four years as long as the student maintains a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater.