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Portland, Maine
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Deirdre Fleming Stires

Three UNE students awarded scholarships from Maine Brain Aneurysm Awareness nonprofit

Three UNE students awarded scholarships from Maine Brain Aneurysm Awareness nonprofit
From l to r: Robert Hawkes, M.S.P.A. ’07, PA-C, director of UNE’s Master of Science Physician Assistant program, Dawn DeWeese-Moss (M.S.P.A.), and Dawson Postl (M.S.P.A.) attend the scholarship ceremony in Portland’s Back Cove.

Three University of New England students pursuing degrees in the healthcare professions were among those awarded scholarships from the Maine Brain Aneurysm Awareness Committee this fall.

Class of 2027 students Abbie Keenan (Occupational Studies and Nursing), Dawson Postl (M.S.P.A.), and Dawn DeWeese-Moss (M.S.P.A.), each said in their scholarship applications that they plan to dedicate their careers to caring for patients and their families, possibly in fields related to neurological changes and trauma. 

Each year, the Maine Brain Aneurysm Awareness (Maine BA) Committee offers four $2,000 scholarships to students who engage in public outreach and awareness of brain aneurysms or work with that population through their area of study.

The annual scholarships were established in 2016 in memory of four Maine women who died as a result of brain aneurysms or brain tumors, including Kimberly Tudor, who graduated from UNE in 1988 died in 2008.

The scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in nursing at Maine institutions or graduate students at Maine institutions pursuing degrees in physical therapy, physical occupational therapy, or physician assistant studies.

The UNE students expressed gratitude for the committee’s commitment to supporting aspiring healthcare professionals and their personal pursuits to provide patient-centered, compassionate care through their education at UNE. 

“I can't think of a greater honor than providing medical care for critically ill patients, and I appreciate (Maine BA) for supporting me on my journey to do so,” Postl said. “With this award, I hope to honor my friend, Tony, who passed away from a brain tumor, as well as all the families associated with (the nonprofit).” 

Keenan called receiving the scholarship “an incredibly meaningful honor” due to her personal connection to brain aneurysm trauma and treatment.

“After witnessing my mom experience a ruptured brain aneurysm and being part of her recovery, I saw firsthand the impact that compassionate, patient-centered care can have on both patients and their families. Her resilience has shaped my decision to pursue nursing and my commitment to disability advocacy,” Keenan said.

Robert Hawkes, M.S.P.A. ’07, PA-C, director of UNE’s Master of Science Physician Assistant program — Maine’s only program such program — said the honor recognizes the dedication to academic excellence, service, and compassionate patient care that Postl and DeWeese-Moss have both emulated throughout their academic journey at UNE.

“Their shared commitment to increasing awareness of brain aneurysms and supporting efforts to improve education, advocacy, and patient outcomes exemplifies the impact future healthcare professionals can have beyond the classroom and clinical setting,” Hawkes noted. “Dawson and Dawn embody the values of the physician assistant profession, and we look forward to the positive contributions they will make throughout their careers."

Media Contact

Deirdre Fleming Stires
Office of Communications
dstires@une.edu

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study-abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible online offerings. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. We are the state’s top provider of health professionals and home to Maine’s only medical and dental colleges, physician assistant program, and pharmacy school, in addition to a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care programs and nationally recognized programs in the marine sciences, the natural and social sciences, business, the humanities, and the arts.