Maine School of Science and Mathematics Advisor Receives Entourage Yearbook’s Nicole Mayhew Grant

At the Third Annual High School Advisor’s Conference this past summer, Entourage Yearbooks awarded the Nicole Mayhew Grant to Yearbook Advisor Mr. Andrew Parker from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone, Maine. Nicole Mayhew was an Entourage Yearbook Advisor and a member of the Entourage Yearbooks Advisor’s Council. Her commitment to the program and community showed how she ensured all students could access a yearbook if desired. She made a lasting impact on everyone she met and left an incredible legacy that continues to inspire others. The Grant for $1,500 is awarded each year at the summer conference in her honor, and the recipient has shown outstanding commitment to their yearbook program, school, and community.

To receive this Grant, Advisors are nominated by Administrators who have witnessed the substantial impact the Yearbook Leaders have made to advance and improve their yearbook programs. Mr. Parker was appointed by MSSM Dean of Faculty, Mrs. Deborah McGann, and was selected from over 1,300 other nominees. Mrs. McGann noted, “Mr. Parker assigned students specific titles and roles and developed evaluation forms describing major job responsibilities, performance expectations, goals, and benchmarks.” Executive Director at MSSM, Mr. Luke Shorty, commented that Mr. Parker has “transformed the yearbook process at our school and raised the bar on student involvement and accountability.”

When Mr. Parker took over the yearbook program three years ago, the structure was one in which all students had equal responsibilities and no editorial positions. Mr. Parker wanted to transform the program to set up positions to reflect a “real world situation” and, as a result, to create a degree of accountability amongst his yearbook staff. There are 11 staff members, 5 of whom are returning students, all Editors this year. Detailed performance evaluations are given, and students uphold the highest task completion standards. They work hard but have a lot of fun and take great pride in creating their project.

With the Grant money, Mr. Parker plans on adding more pages to the yearbook project this year, allowing for more in-depth coverage of events. He has also purchased T-shirts for the class that will be used to inspire pride amongst the staff. They will wear them on school spirit days and to school events, where they can serve as a press badge when taking photos or conducting interviews.

Some of Mr. Parker’s favorite moments as an advisor have been to witness the growth of specific students who were once reserved but, as a result of the yearbook process, have emerged as true leaders. By restructuring accountability in his class and boosting team morale, Mr. Parker is undoubtedly preparing his staff for a successful future beyond the classroom. He is well-deserving of Entourage’s Nicole Mayhew Grant.