Washington County Community College Students receive MEREDA scholarship

Sunshine Green and Haley Black are two of 14 community college students to receive a scholarship from the Maine Real Estate & Development Association

Calais, Maine —Sunshine Green, of Lubec, and Haley Black, of Calais, second-year Washington County Community College students has been awarded a $1,250 scholarship from the Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) for study during the current academic year.

Sunshine Green graduated from Lubec High School in 1995. She earned her CNA certificate shortly thereafter and went to work at a local health care facility. In 2003 she earned her associate degree and in May of 2020 will graduate from WCCC ‘s Business Management and Entrepreneurship program. It is Sunshine’s professional goal to become a drug and alcohol counselor, specializing in PTSD and trauma. She will continue her education in behavioral science in the Fall of 2020 with the goal of someday owning her own business that combines these services to help others.

Haley Black graduated from Washington County Community College with an associate degree in Mechanical Technology in 2019. This was an incredible accomplishment for Haley, as from the early age of 11 she was fixing vehicles to help her family. At WCCC she received the Outstanding Achievement Award in Heavy Equipment Maintenance. Currently, Haley works as a security officer at Calais Regional Hospital, where she received the 2018 officer of the year for heroism. While working full-time, she is continuing her education at WCCC taking classes towards a Business Management degree.

Sunshine Green and Haley Black are two of 14 Maine community college students to receive a generous scholarship from MEREDA. To qualify, students must be a Maine resident, have financial need, and be enrolled as a second-year student in a building trades, architecture, construction, engineering or business program at a Maine community college.

The funds for the scholarships were raised through MEREDA’s annual “Strikes for Scholars” bowl-a-thon in May. The association’s goal is to support Maine students as they prepare for careers in areas of study that promote MEREDA’s mission of responsible development and ownership of real estate throughout the state. In recent years, the association has raised enough funds to provide scholarships to two students at each of the seven Maine community colleges.

MEREDA began its scholarship program for students in the building trades and professions over seven years ago and has continued to grow and support the program. Since 2014, MEREDA has raised and donated over $90,000 in scholarships assisting 71 Maine community college students.

“MEREDA is a strong supporter of trades and professions associated with real estate and the real estate development industry in Maine, and recognizes how important these professions, that provide good jobs and careers, have been to our state, the economy and the real estate industry.   The building trades and professions provide high paying lifelong opportunities for our residents,” said Gary Vogel of Drummond Woodsum and MEREDA president. “An educated workforce is vital to support economic development. 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, our state and our economy.”

For more information on MEREDA go to: http://mereda.org/

For more information on Maine’s Community Colleges go to www.mccs.me.edu.