Senator Collins Welcomes Lewiston Native and Barbara Bush Scholarship Recipient to Washington, D.C.

Click HERE for a high-resolution photo of (from L to R) Patrick Penley, Ella Penley, Senator Collins, and Oliva Penley

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins welcomed Ella Penley of Lewiston to her Washington, D.C., office.  Ella, a fifth grade student at Farwell Elementary School, was recently selected to receive the newly established Barbara Bush Scholarship.

“It was a pleasure to meet with Ella and congratulate her on her hard work as well as her enthusiasm for exploring the world of literature with her classmates,” said Senator Collins.  “The Barbara Bush Scholarship is a wonderful tribute to a First Lady who was a true champion of literacy and who encouraged countless young people to discover the magic of reading.”

Last week, Senator Collins announced the four inaugural Barbara Bush Scholarship winners, including Ella, in a video that was played to an assembly of students, faculty, and family at Farwell Elementary.  The event also recognized Maine author Gary Savage, who challenged students at Farwell Elementary to come up with the title and a new character for the third book in his series, Fletcher McKenzie.  Fourteen teams of students participated in the challenge, and Ella was part of the team that won the title competition.

President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush visited Farwell Elementary several years ago to read to students.