MEMIC taking applications for 'Families of Injured Workers' scholarships

Courtesy / MEMIC MEMIC President and CEO Michael Bourque is joined by 2018 scholarship recipient Louis Laurita. The workers' compensation insurer is accepting applications for its Harvey Picker Horizon Scholarship Program for children and spouses of workers who have been seriously injured on the job. Application deadline is May 3.

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By Staff

The MEMIC Group is accepting applications for its Harvey Picker Horizon Scholarship Program for children and spouses of workers who have been seriously injured on the job.

Portland-based MEMIC has awarded $170,000 in scholarships to 34 young scholars through that program since 2001.

Memic, which insures more than 20,000 employers and their estimated 300,000 employees, is one of the fastest-growing workers’ compensation insurers, with eight offices along East Coast.

The company said in a news release that that although workers compensation insurance covers medical treatment and replaces a percentage of lost wages, the company recognizes insurance cannot eliminate entirely the stress and strain that an injury can cause a family.

“Our mission at MEMIC is to help prevent workplace injuries, and to get injured workers back on the job,” MEMIC President and CEO Michael Bourque said in the release. “With this scholarship, we aim to help family members of those impacted by significant workplace injuries pursue their academic ambitions.”

Two recent recipients said the MEMIC scholarship enabled them to pursue academic goals they might not have been able to accomplish otherwise.

"It has been really life-changing,” said Derek McGraw, a 2017 and 2018 scholarship recipient. “I don’t think I’d be able to go to Drexel without the MEMIC Horizon Scholarship. I’ve learned things here I wouldn't have been able to learn anywhere else."

Natalia Hinman, a 2018 scholarship recipient, added: “If not for the MEMIC Horizon Scholarship I would have never had the opportunity to continue my education and achieve my goals. I am truly thankful. My advice to anyone who is considering applying for the scholarship is just, ‘Apply already.’”

The scholarship is named after former Camden resident Harvey Picker, a physicist, educator, philanthropist and advocate for education. In 1992, Picker was appointed by Gov. John R. McKernan to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Workers’ Compensation, which led to the formation of MEMIC 26 years ago. Picker also served as a member of the board of directors at MEMIC.

Scholarship guidelines and deadline

Potential winners must complete the application by May 3 to be considered for a scholarship of up to $5,000. To be eligible for the scholarship, the related injured worker must have been working for a MEMIC policyholder at the time of injury. Applicants will be judged on academic transcripts, citizenship and future promise. Students must be attending or planning to attend an accredited college or university. For more information and to request a copy of the application go online here www.memic.com/horizon or call 1-800-660-1306 and say “Horizon Scholarship” at the prompt.

About MEMIC

The MEMIC Group includes MEMIC Indemnity Company, MEMIC Casualty Company, and parent company Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company; all rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best. As a super-regional workers’ compensation specialty insurer, The MEMIC Group holds licenses to write workers’ compensation across the country. It insures more than 20,000 employers and their estimated 300,000 employees and holds more than $1.4 billion in assets. The group maintains offices in New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida, in addition to its headquarters in Portland.