A Maine philanthropic organization has awarded Bowdoin’s Melissa Kapocius with a scholarship to help her continue pursuing a college education. Kapocius, who is a data processor for the American Musicological Society at Bowdoin, is studying for her bachelors’s degree at University of Maine Augusta.

Kapocius was one of 21 adults recently recognized by the Maine Development Foundation’s Next Step Maine scholarship program as an “employee of promise.” These are Maine workers nominated by their employers who are continuing their education while also often juggling family or other responsibilities. The scholarships range from $500 to $1,500.

Kapocius, described as a faithful employee and a model of outstanding office behavior, cares for two teenage children and is a longtime volunteer at the Brunswick School Department and other youth organizations. She told the foundation that she was not able to focus on her education in her early years. Instead, she worked hard, raised her family and served her community. To continue being a role model for her children and others, she decided to become formally educated. “Once I experienced my first class,” she said, “I realized that going to college was part of a lifelong dream coming true for me.”