Dr. Tom Farrell Future Leaders of Maine Scholarship
Dr. Tom Farrell devoted his life to youth. He spent over fifty years in education; first as a high school teacher and sports coach in Maine, and then as an administrator and Superintendent of schools in Maine, Colorado, and Taiwan.
When Dr. Farrell passed away in March of 2024, the Farrell family was heartened to receive messages from hundreds of Tom’s former students, players, mentees, and colleagues – talking about the positive and transformative impact he had on their lives. Dr. Farrell believed that a true leader empowers all those around them to be leaders themselves. A true leader builds up those around them by helping them understand just how special and capable they are, which makes them want to be better, which in turn makes them want to empower those around them, and on and on it goes, because that kind of leadership is contagious. With leaders like that, real positive change and progress can occur individually, communally, and societally. And it’s the kind of leadership the world really needs.
And so the Farrell family decided to launch the Future Leaders of Maine Foundation to honor Dr. Farrell’s style of leadership and legacy of giving. The mission of our 501(c)(3) is to support Maine's next young leaders through a student scholarship program. Our world is made better by those committed to bringing out the best in others, so empowering the next generation to become leaders in their respective fields and communities is critical.
Any high school senior in Maine who plans to attend the University of Maine may apply for the inaugural scholarship opportunity --the Dr. Tom Farrell Future Leaders of Maine Scholarship--which will fully cover in-state tuition for their Freshman year (up to $15,000).
Applicants should demonstrate the kind of leadership skills that Dr. Tom Farrell modeled day in and day out during his fifty-year career in education: one who treats others with compassion, empowers others to be the best versions of themselves (and to become leaders themselves), and understands the importance of helping others and giving back to their communities.
To apply, tell us about yourself, how you define leadership, what leadership skills you have, and why you’d be a great future leader of Maine.
Please tell us a bit about yourself--where you come from, where you want to go, what your passions are, how you plan to make a positive impact on the world, etc. How do you define a great leader? What leadership skills do you possess, how have you demonstrated them in your life thus far, and why do you think you'd make a great future leader of Maine?
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FAQ
The application deadline is May 1, 2025. Winners will be announced on Jun 1, 2025.
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Award amounts per winner are designated by the donor. Check the award amount for a detailed breakdown.
The winner will be publicly announced on Jun 1, 2025. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.
Award checks will be sent to the financial aid office of the winner's academic institution or future academic institution in their name to be applied to their tuition, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school's requirements). If the award is for a qualified educational non-tuition expense, we will work with the winner directly to distribute the award and make sure it goes towards qualified expenses.
Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to confirm their academic enrollment status. Depending on the circumstances, verification of Student ID and/or their most recent transcript will be required.
If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email contact@bold.org and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.