Northern Essex Community College student Sarah Melanson of Haverhill recently received the Bette Brown Memorial Scholarship for her involvement in the college activities, most specifically the annual Peace Poetry Project.

The scholarship was created in the name of the late Bette Brown, a 20-year employee of the college who died in an all terrain vehicle accident during a fundraising event in Deerfield, N.H. in Oct. of 2009.

A Sandown, N.H. resident at the time of her death, Brown had previously lived in Derry, N.H. and Merrimac.

She held a Bachelor of Arts in History from Fitchburg State College and later earned her master’s degree in business from Lesley College. She had also completed work on an additional degree in education from St. Joseph University in Philadelphia.

The student recipient, Melanson, a 2009 Haverhill High School graduate, is a Computer Information Science: Information Technology major.

She is also the recipient of an award from the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention.

She was nominated for a scholarship by Dr. Paul G. Saint-Amand, NECC professor of English and founder and coordinator of the NECC Peace poetry Project.

He wrote, “Sarah is creative and, at the same time, works hard to complete scholarly tasks assigned to her. She is a model student in that she knows what needs to be done, when to do it, and how to make it presentable. Clearly, her engagement with other faculty and staff suggest she is a mature and astute co-worker.”

For additional information contact Alison Cody, NECC director, private sector fundraising at acody@necc.mass.edu or 978-556-3612.