PORTLAND — Portland Housing Authority is pleased to announce the distribution of $37,000 in scholarships to 15 students for the 2024-25 academic year. This year’s awards, made possible in part by a generous $10,000 contribution from KeyBank Foundation, will help PHA residents pursue higher education and reach their academic goals.
KeyBank’s support has been integral in expanding the scholarship program, allowing PHA to continue empowering students across the Portland community. Brigitte Ritchie, KeyBank’s regional corporate responsibility officer for Maine, Vermont, and Florida, remarked, “At KeyBank, we believe in the power of education as a path to opportunity and growth. Supporting the Portland Housing Authority’s scholarship program aligns with our commitment to helping students achieve their educational and career goals. We are honored to play a role in this initiative that empowers young PHA residents and helps them achieve brighter futures.”
In recognition of the program’s longstanding success, the PHA Scholarship Program will be renamed the Thomas Valleau Scholarship Program in 2025, in honor of his service to Portland Housing Authority residents through his long tenure on the Board of Commissioners and his unwavering advocacy for educational outcomes for PHA residents.
This year’s scholarships were awarded to students from various PHA neighborhoods. Some recipients include:
• Josephine Moriba, Macalester College
• Zhanna Gato, St. Joseph’s College
• David Dayoni Manuana, University of Maine
• Muntasir Ahmed, St. Michael’s College
• Sara Dhalai, University of Southern Maine
• Baqer Jalil, University of Southern Maine
• Mlaz Khamis, University of Southern Maine
• Umulkair Mohamed, Bowdoin College
• Sophia Gato, Champlain College
The scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, were awarded to help students overcome the financial barriers that often accompany higher education. Recipients spoke of the transformative role these scholarships have played in their academic lives.
Umulkair Mohamed, a senior at Bowdoin College, expressed: “One of my strongest motivations is to honor the sacrifices of my mother and to make her proud, as she never got a formal education due to growing up amid poverty, wars, and turmoil in Somalia and Ethiopia. I am motivated to set an example for my six younger siblings too and use my accumulated knowledge to help set them up for success.”
Muntasir Ahmed, attending St. Michael’s College, shared his thoughts on giving back to the community: “I strive for higher education not just for my endeavors, but also as a means to give back to my community, contribute my knowledge and abilities, and positively affect change in the community.”
Zhanna Gato, a student at St. Joseph’s College said, “I have been a single parent for almost 13 years and would like to be more financially helpful to my kids in achieving their educational goals.”
For those interested in applying for next year’s PHA scholarships, the application process typically opens in February, with a submission deadline in May. Eligible applicants must be residents of Portland Housing Authority’s Public Housing or participants in the Housing Choice Voucher program. For more information on eligibility requirements and how to apply, visit: porthouse.org/301/Portland-Housing-Authority-Scholarship.
Established in 1943, the Portland Housing Authority provides long-term, affordable fair rental housing and assistance to more than 3,000 low-income families, seniors and disabled individuals through its Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs. PHA houses over 6,500 residents, close to 10% of the City’s population. PHA believes that providing safe, quality, affordable housing gives residents the stability and opportunity for success they need and deserve. For more information, visit www.porthouse.org.
KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation’s mission is advanced through three funding priorities – neighbors, education, and workforce – and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.
KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $190 billion as of Sept. 30, 2024. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.
