American Legion Post 171 has created a new $1,000 annual grant for Harpswell students pursuing higher education, honoring the memory of Paul A. Standridge, a 25-year Legion member and community volunteer.
Standridge, who died in 2023, served the post as finance officer from 2011 to 2013 and as first vice commander from 2021 to 2023. Beyond the Legion, he volunteered with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Harpswell Aging at Home, and on the town’s Planning Board.
The grant is open to Harpswell residents continuing their education at a college, university, trade or vocational school, or in a certification or licensure program.
Post 171 Finance Officer Tom Guerra said the grant committee hopes the award will continue Standridge’s legacy of community service by supporting local students as they take their next steps.
This year’s inaugural award was split between two 2025 Mt. Ararat High School graduates, Molly Greenleaf and Elisabeth Kelly, both of Cundy’s Harbor, who each received $500.
Greenleaf plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology. She was a captain of Mt. Ararat’s girls varsity swim team and plays the saxophone, among other activities.
Kelly plans to study biology and forensic science at Husson University in Bangor. She was a captain of Mt. Ararat’s girls tennis team and was recruited to play at Husson.
Applicants were asked to list their extracurricular and volunteer activities, community contributions, and local honors and awards, and to write an essay about how the grant would help them achieve their goals.
Guerra said both Greenleaf and Kelly submitted impressive applications. “Each of these young women, we felt, should be rewarded,” he said.
