NVME Executive Director Janet Smith recently announced the recipients of the 2026 Gilda E. Nardone (GEN) Scholarship. Awards of $1,000 each will help defray the cost of college tuition and other expenses for adult learners pursuing higher education during the 2026-27 academic year.
Gilda Nardone presented the scholarship awards to students at Making It Happen 2026—an event to celebrate scholarship, entrepreneurship, and leadership—at the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) on March 26th.
The awardees include:
• Gloria Oriol-Ferrer of Lewiston, studying Human Services at Central Maine Community College
• Lyra Radford of Windham, studying Trauma-Informed Emergency Management at UMA
• Briana Czarkowski of Old Town, studying Mental Health & Human Services at UMA
• Kari Hersey of Millinocket, studying Mental Health & Human Services at UMA
• Yiyang (Joyce) Jiang of Old Orchard Beach, studying Business Administration at UMA
“I am very impressed with the personal stories of each of the scholarship recipients,” Gilda said. “They demonstrate the perseverance and resilience of adult learners pursuing higher education in Maine.”
After accepting her scholarship award at the event, Joyce Jiang spoke from the podium about her education journey. “I am originally from China. My family background did not allow me to get a higher education. Now that I’m in the U.S., I really cherish this learning opportunity. I appreciate New Ventures Maine for providing this scholarship to help.”
The Gilda E. Nardone Scholarship Fund was established at UMA in 2015 with a generous gift from Mary Herman, UMA ’79. The scholarship is named for Gilda E. Nardone—NVME founding executive director from 1978 through 2021—to honor her legacy and her commitment to education access and success for adult learners.
For more information, visit the GEN Scholarship page on the NVME website.