PERU — The family of the late Devon Waugh announced that applications for a $3,000 scholarship to a Peru resident seeking higher education are due April 30.

Nick Waugh said that in June 2003, just before his wife, Devon Ezell Waugh, died, his family received an anonymous $100 to be used for a scholarship to be awarded in Devon’s name to a graduating Peru Elementary School eighth-grader.

“I duly awarded that donation to a Peru Elementary School graduate, and within a week, Devon had passed,” Waugh said.

His wife’s obituary requested that in lieu of flowers, people donate to the Devon Ezell Waugh Memorial Scholarship.

“Our thought was that we might garner enough donations to be able to continue an annual $100 award to a Peru eighth-grader,” Waugh said. “Three weeks later, much to our astonishment, we had received nearly $60,000. We continued, annually, to give a check to Peru eighth-graders.”

Waugh said the board for the Devon Waugh Memorial Fund received nonprofit status and has “spent the intervening years growing our fund and trying to figure out what to do with this unexpected largesse.”

Initially, Waugh said scholarship recipients were students graduating from the eighth grade who attended Peru Elementary School. They each received a $150 savings bond. Recipients best exemplified the qualities of honesty, personal integrity and compassion for others, he said.

The fund’s website states that in her late 40s, Devon began pursuing a career in massage therapy, which was made possible by “her own work and support from family members.”

“In the spirit of her experiences, the fund has expanded its capacity to support anyone interested in pursuing further education,” the website reads.

Waugh said the two criteria for the scholarship are proof of Peru residency and completion of an application. There is no age limit.

The application asks residents to answer questions, including their educational goals, educational and employment experiences that prepare them for the program they’re proposing, and why the funds are needed to complete their educational objectives.

Applications are due April 30. The award will be made by May 15.

Waugh said the scholarship amount each year is based on the size of the fund. This year, the award will be $3,000, with payment made directly to the educational institution, organization or program in which the recipient is enrolled.

The application form can be completed online at: https://sites.google.com/a/wwsu.org/devon-waugh-memorial-fund/, or downloaded from the website and submitted via hard copy.

All application materials, including the application, residency verification and letters of reference, must be sent via email to waughrfd@aol.com, or to the Devon Waugh Memorial Fund at 633 Dickvale Road, Peru, ME 04290.

For more information, email waughrfd@aol.com, call 562-7287, or visit the Devon Waugh Memorial Fund website.

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net