Supporting tomorrow’s healers: York Hospital scholarships recipients announced

YORK, Maine — The Friends of York Hospital Scholarship Committee recently announced that three local students in the Class of 2024 were selected to receive scholarships to support their pursuit of careers in health care.

These scholarships are open to students who graduate from southern Maine and Seacoast area high schools and intend to pursue a career in health care. The Friends of York Hospital volunteer organization has provided financial aid to area students since 1962. This year, the committee announced the names of the three recipients, each receiving $5,000 scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year. This year’s Friends of York Hospital scholars are:

Olivia Boutot is a 2024 graduate of Wells High School where she was a member of both the National Honor Society and the National Technical Society. Boutot was dually enrolled at the Sanford Regional Technical Center Academy of Business and as a full-time student at Wells High School.  She also earned a place on the Dean’s list at York County Community College, served as a Rotarian Youth Leader, and won the Good Citizen Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Old York Chapter in 2024. Olivia also served as a class officer for her first three years at WHS.

Boutot has been active in sports during her high school years; both in basketball and as captain of the varsity soccer team in her fourth.  She also enjoys making time for hiking and photography.

Boutot will attend the University of Connecticut, majoring in biological science within the pre-medicine curriculum. She hopes to attain her MD (medical degree) in psychiatry, where she plans to work with young adult patients.

Grace Clayton is a 2024 graduate of York High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society and the Foreign Language Honor Society. She was awarded the seal of biliteracy in Spanish and English during her junior year.

In addition to her academic strengths, Clayton has participated in a variety of extracurricular activities. She played three varsity sports (lacrosse, basketball, and soccer) all four years of high school. She also served as president of TIDAL WAVSE, a group practicing, encouraging, and providing opportunities for students to remain chemical-free throughout high school. Clayton has been a peer listener for two middle school students and a volunteer for youth sports programs. Outside of school she has made time to deliver Meals on Wheels to elders in the community and has served as a volunteer at York Hospital in the Emergency Department. She has also worked in hospitality for two- and one-half years.

Clayton will major in nursing at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, N.H., this fall. She has received a presidential Scholarship from Plymouth State for her high academic achievements. It is Clayton’s goal to become a critical care nurse in a hospital emergency room.

James McShera is also a 2024 graduate of York High School. He was a member of the National Honor Society and president of the Yearbook Committee at YHS. During his senior year, McShera participated in an independent study in the field of neuroscience. He also enjoyed being part of the York High Junior Varsity Golf Team and an active volunteer with the Kennebunkport Historical Society.

McShera volunteered at the Ogunquit Spirit of Giving organization, which provides gifts to children during the holiday season. He also worked in his family’s restaurant business for the past few years, where he learned about organization, hard work, valuable organizational skills – and humor.

McShera will enter the nursing program at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, in the fall, with plans to become a nurse practitioner.

The Friends of York Hospital Scholarship Program is funded through generous donations from the Physician’s Committee and the York Hospital Apothecary, annual membership dues from the Friends of York Hospital, a popular Holiday Basket Raffle held each December, and donations from community members.

If you’d like to help future students who aspire to enter careers in health care, make your check payable to Friends of York Hospital and send your tax-deductible contribution to: Friends of York Hospital, ATTN: Marie Aimo, 15 Hospital Drive, York, ME 03909

For further questions about the Friends of York Hospital or volunteering at York Hospital, contact Kate Ford, Director of Volunteer and Student Experiences, at kford@yorkhospital.com or 207-351-2224.  For inquiries regarding York Hospital services, contact York Hospital Community Relations at 207-351-2385 or info@yorkhospital.co m, or visit the York Hospital website at yorkhospital.com .

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Supporting tomorrow’s healers: York Hospital scholarships recipients announced