2020 Cape Elizabeth High School
Biddeford Savings Bank Mainely Character Scholarship $2500
“I choose to be a positive influence for others.”
Isabel Berman is a quiet leader who is respected by peers and adults. As a freshman, she was selected by her peers as a Natural Helper. Twice a year, she trains to respond to concerns students bring to her, such as eating disorders, abuse, and substance use. She listens and suggests resources for help.
Isabel also worked with Make It Happen, a college readiness program for multilingual students at Portland High School. During her freshman year, she developed Sea to Sea, a creative art program using materials from local beaches. Their work was sold at a local craft fair, raising $500 to support after-school activities. Isabel says this experience helped to define and encourage her altruism.
When Isabel saw many of her peers becoming addicted to vaping, she knew she had to act. She created The Truth, a video about the dangers of vaping, including its impact on juvenile brains, examples of peer pressure, and resources for help. The video was shown to her school and has been added to the middle school health curriculum.
Isabel will study neuroscience at the University of Vermont in the fall.