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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE College of Arts and Sciences announces essay contest winners at Generations event

On March 25, 2015, the University of New England awarded $13,750 in scholarships to winners of the second annual College of Arts and Sciences Essay Contest for high school students.

Contest participants were asked to reflect on the challenges their generation will face and the legacy they will leave behind. In keeping with the essay theme, the winners were announced at a debate between Brian Duff, Ph.D., professor and chair in the Department of Political Science, and David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, that focused on the question, "Can the world learn more from the current Millennial Generation than from what many consider to be the Greatest Generation?" Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Jeanne Hey, Ph.D., moderated the debate, which took place in Leonard Hall on the Biddeford Campus.

Initial audience polling conducted by UNE’s Math Team indicated that a greater number of attendees believed that the legacy of the Greatest Generation was more significant. However, after Duff, advocating for the Millennial Generation, and Smith, backing the Greatest Generation, concluded their debate, a second round of polling revealed that the audience had changed its opinion.

Several contest winners attended the debate and received their awards in person.

First-place winner Justin Guider from Charter School of Wilmington, Delaware, received a $4,000 scholarship for his essay "Daunting New World: The Millennials Greatest Challenge."

Kady Winsor of East Bridgewater High School in Massachusetts took second-place with a $2,000 scholarship, and Katrina Ullrich of Keene High School in New Hampshire finished third with a $1,000 scholarship as well as a $250 book scholarship.

Other $1,000 scholarship winners were Tanner McLaughlin of Stearns Junior-Senior High School (Maine), Lauren Edwards of Exeter High School (New Hampshire), Philly Kelly of Seton Home Study School (Connecticut), and Kylee DiMaggio of Missisquoi Valley Union High School (Vermont).

Students who won $500 scholarships were Courtney Mills of Cony High School (Maine), Lexington Gretzky, a home-schooled student (Connecticut), Casey Phelps of Milford High School (New Hampshire), Roger Connolly, and Abby DeHaas of Hermon High School (Maine).

Also at the event, faculty and students premiered a video about "Write Again Soon: Letters from World War II" an exhibit at the Ketchum Library created by history students under the guidance of Elizabeth De Wolfe, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Depatment of History and Philosophy.

Hey stated that the event was a "wonderful opportunity for our faculty, current students and prospective students to showcase their talents and celebrate the college’s liberal arts mission."

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.