University of Maine at Presque Isle Junior Business Management Major Cody Humphrey recently was recognized for his hard work and dedication as a Mitchell Scholar with an award given to just 18 out of the nearly 1,800 scholars and alumni who have gone through the Mitchell Institute.

Humphrey received the Leon and Lisa Gorman Pioneer Scholar Award, presented to a Mitchell Scholar who has demonstrated strong qualities of leadership, character, and hard work. He was given the award during the Mitchell Institute’s 2011 Gala event held in late October in South Portland.

“I’m very honored,” Humphrey said of the award. “It’s definitely an honor to get chosen for this and know that people are noticing your hard work.”

Humphrey said that, since becoming a Mitchell Scholar, he has participated in just about all of the activities the Mitchell Institute has offered to its scholars, including retreats, resume workshops, and community service projects. For example, he recently climbed Mount Katahdin with a group of Mitchell Institute scholars as part of a leadership activity.

The Mitchell Institute was created in 1995, when Senator George Mitchell founded the Mitchell Scholarship Program to support the educational goals of Maine high school graduates. Over $8.2 million has been awarded in scholarship assistance to more than 1,800 Maine students. Each year, one graduating senior from every public high school in Maine is selected to receive a Mitchell Scholarship. The amount of each scholarship is up to $6,000 ($1,500 for each year of college for a maximum of four years). Humphrey was the recipient of the scholarship from Gray-New Gloucester High School in 2009.

“Cody Humphrey is a terrific young man and a great representative of the Mitchell Institute,” said Colleen Quint, its executive director. “This award recognizes exactly what Cody is all about: hard work, leadership and character. He’s smart and has a great work ethic. Most of all, though, Cody is thoughtful and kind and leads by example. It is our honor to recognize these attributes by naming Cody as the Leon and Lisa Gorman Pioneer Mitchell Scholar.”

Humphrey said he has benefited in many ways from his participation in the Mitchell Institute – last year, the Institute helped to provide him with a stipend so he could do internship work for the Portland Water District in collaboration with the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership. He expects that the Institute will continue to benefit him past graduation.

“With the networking and contacts I have through the Institute, I know that after graduation, if I need help getting a job, I can give them a call,” Humphrey said. “The Institute goes the extra mile for its scholars to help them with internships and careers.”

In addition to his participation in the Mitchell Institute, Humphrey was a member of this year’s UMPI golf team and he serves as a student ambassador for the Admissions Office. He also volunteers for Central Aroostook ARC once a week. He is the son of Lonnie and Pam Humphrey of New Gloucester.