AUBURN — Two veterans of the U.S. Marines and one mother of twins were honored Friday as outstanding college students during the College for ME—Androscoggin annual luncheon.

The luncheon, held at the Hilton Garden Inn, is designed to call attention to those who find their way to college, sometimes overcoming adversity, and to thank community members who help students.

The three student award winners were Julie Bates, Jared Golden and Scott Emery.

Bates, of Turner, started college after high school but at age 20, she found herself pregnant with twins. And she was a single mother, said Candance Sanborn of Encompass Marketing, who introduced Bates.

Eventually, Bates got a full-time job at Geiger in Lewiston and married. She occasionally took a college class, but her job and twin boys kept her busy.

In 2009 during a tough economy, she was laid off from Geiger. She decided to finish her degree. Through the help of family, especially her husband, and loans and grants, she completed her bachelor’s degree in May “at the ripe old age of 36,” Sanborn said.

Since then, Bates has found full-time employment at Bedard’s Pharmacy, in part due to her degree completion, Sanborn said as the audience applauded.

Jared Golden was introduced by CareerCenter manager Mary Lafontaine.

A senior at Bates College, Golden grew up in Leeds and graduated from Leavitt Area High School in 2001 and enrolled at the University of Maine at Farmington, unsure why he was in college. After the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, he left college and joined the Marines, serving tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, Lafontaine said.

He returned to Maine, worked at a pizza restaurant and an RV business and was thinking about returning to UMF. One Friday night ,Bates College Vice President Bill Hiss stopped at the pizza restaurant and urged Golden to consider Bates.

Thinking Bates was “out of my league,” Golden applied and was accepted. Today, he’s a double major in history and politics, scheduled to graduate in May.

During the summers of 2009 and 2010 he returned to Afghanistan as a teacher in the School of Leadership in Kabul to help young Afghans who, he said, lack opportunities for education and a good life.

Lafontaine described Golden as “an intelligent, hardworking young man who has seen the power of education from multiple perspectives in his own life. … He’s a wonderful example of someone who learned at an early age that with America’s great power comes humbling responsibilities that can only be met by a globally aware citizenry,” Lafontaine said.

College for Me Chairwoman Jan Phillips introduced Scott Emery as a military veteran, husband, father and classroom teacher.

When he applied in a program to become a teacher at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College, it was clear Emery would be guided by a love of family, country and students, Phillips said.

His academic program was full time. Yet, most semesters he worked full-time at a local hospital, while married with two young sons.

Despite that full plate, Emery achieved a grade-point average of 3.67, meaning he got mostly A’s. “I don’t think he slept much,” Phillips said.

Today, Emery is a kindergarten teacher at Longley Elementary School. He is pursuing a master’s degree and co-chairing a Positive Behavioral Intervention Committee for Lewiston schools. Phillips called Emery a “diligent teacher-leader who sincerely cares abut his teaching and students.”

Receiving student advocate awards were Dave Gonyea, the athletic director, housing director, security director and basketball coach at Central Maine Community College; and Roger Guay, coordinator for Lewiston Adult Education’s College Transition Program.

Receiving corporate awards for helping employees further their educations were Bates College and Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care.

Given the special, surprise award was Dale Morrell, director of education at St. Mary’s Health System.

Morrell helps many employees formulate individual education plans, Phillips said. She called him a tireless worker, “someone who is not only a creative problem-solver but a learning guru.”

bwashuk@sunjournal.com