Miss Maine Julia Furtado honored in Alabama

Miss Maine 2011, Julia Furtado '13 (Applied Exercise Science) traveled to Birmingham, Alabama the last weekend in April where she and other Duke of Edinburgh Award winners were honored during several planned events.

After her arrival on Friday, April 27, the guests were treated to a Southern Barbeque.  On Saturday, April 28, 2012, Julia met HRH The Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex and youngest son of Queen Elizabeth, during a Southern Garden Party and tea.  Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, and Miss America 2012, Laura Kaeppeler, also participated in the festivities.

On Saturday, Julia was not only a guest but also a special performer at the black tie gala, singing an operatic piece “O Mio Babbino Caro” by Giacomo Puccini.   She had the opportunity to speak to the many sponsors of the event and HRH The Prince Edward during the six-course meal.  Of course, the Prince and Julia talked much about soccer since Julia traveled to Europe as part of a semi-professional soccer team!

Prince Edward is the most active member of the royal family for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which is named for his father.   At the Miss America Pageant in January, Julia received a Duke of Edinburgh Award, which demonstrates activities in four areas:  community service, special skills (talent), physical fitness, and adventurous journey (environment and teamwork).

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a self-development program available to all young people worldwide equipping them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities, and the world.  To date, over seven million people from over 132 countries have been motivated to undertake a variety of voluntary and challenging activities.

For more information about the Miss Maine Scholarship Program, visit .

For more information about the Duke of Edinburgh Award, visit .  
 

About the 91AV

The 91AV 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 . 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. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.