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| Kylie Thibodeau of Raymond, a 2024 Gray-New Gloucester High School graduate, has been awarded a $5,000 Mainely Character Scholarship. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
Empowered by her grandfather’s story as a Vietnamese refugee, Thibodeau has dedicated much of her life to pursuing her passion for inclusiveness and bettering the lives of immigrants through increasing awareness, particularly of the youth in surrounding communities.
Throughout high school, she has been involved in both her school’s Civil Rights and Model UN Club, and she created two additional organizations called Engaging Diverse Perspectives, and Global Maine. She applied for and received a $10,000 grant to support these programs which seek to increase global engagement from youth in rural communities such as her own and counter xenophobia in rural Maine’s youngest populations.
Approaching public libraries in several rural communities, Thibodeau created story times using children’s books that told honest, accurate, positive stories by and about immigrants.
She has been involved with the Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) throughout high school. The network’s vision is to “foster the healthy development of youth and create a thriving network of engaged leaders.” Thibodeau currently holds a leadership position in MYAN that allows her to put into practice her understanding of group dynamics and organization skills while always remaining respectful and open to diverse ideas and opinions.
As part of an honors curriculum her senior year she researched the effect of immigration on Maine communities, focusing specifically on the job market. This motivated her to submit Letters to the Editors of local newspapers: “Do Immigrants Steal Jobs from Native Born Mainers?” This submission resulted in varying opinions and feedback from the public that further allowed her to strengthen her belief that all opinions matter and free expression is important, and she welcomed the public discussion about the topic.
Those who know her say that Thibodeau sees life through an amplified lens, always seeing the larger picture. She recognizes strength in others and has a broad understanding of the world, atypical of someone her age. She is an active change maker, devoted to ensuring that diverse perspectives are at the table whenever solutions are being developed.
The Mainely Character Scholarship Board of Directors say that they are pleased to recognize Thibodeau as a person upholding its tenets of character: concern, responsibility, integrity, and courage.
Thibodeau will attend Columbia University this fall.
Mainely Character has been awarding scholarships to students of character since 2001. This year, 12 scholarships are being awarded for Maine students entering a higher education institution in the fall.
For more information about Mainely Character Scholarships, visit mainelycharacter.org. <
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