OGUNQUIT, Maine, June 12, 2025 — The TramutoPorter Foundation, a nonprofit organization co-founded in 2001 by author and philanthropist Donato Tramuto and Jeffrey Porter, has announced the recipients of its 2025 Compassionate Leadership Scholarships. This year, three outstanding 2025 high school graduates have been selected from a competitive pool of applicants, each demonstrating resilience, purpose and a deep commitment to compassionate leadership.

In a break from precedent, the scholarship committee selected two students from Bangor High School this year, acknowledging the extraordinary strength of the applicant pool.

The foundation has awarded $20,000 four-year scholarships to:

• Alana Danielle Johnson, 2025 graduate of Wells High School, who plans to pursue a degree in journalism at the University of Maine at Orono. Johnson was recognized by Wells High School Principal Eileen Sheehy for her compassion, academic drive and leadership. The scholarship will help make college more financially accessible as she pursues her career goals.
• Oliver Alton Turner, a 2025 graduate of Bangor High School, who will study physical therapy at Husson University in Bangor.
• Seamus MacDonald, also a 2025 Bangor High School graduate, who will pursue a pre-medical degree.
  Bangor High School Principal Paul Butler noted that the scholarship will be life-changing for both Turner and MacDonald, acknowledging their resilience and the importance of removing financial barriers to higher education.

Additionally, the Foundation awarded its first international scholarship, a $60,000 four-year scholarship to:

• Maria Pia Penasa, a 2025 graduate of Collegio Ghislieri in Pavia, Italy. Established this spring, the new Italy-based scholarship reflects the Foundation’s continued commitment to expanding global access to education and advancing a more compassionate and inclusive world.
  Educators at Collegio Ghislieri emphasized that Penasa exemplifies the school’s values of empathy, excellence and civic engagement. Her selection marks a meaningful step in the Foundation’s global expansion of its mission.

This year marks the 24th consecutive year that the TramutoPorter Foundation has awarded scholarships to students from Wells and Ogunquit high schools. In 2026, the foundation will celebrate its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century of investing in education and advancing a mission rooted in compassion, equity and opportunity.

“These students are a powerful reminder that compassion, when paired with perseverance, can change lives,” said Donato Tramuto, co-founder of the TramutoPorter Foundation. “We created this foundation to lift up those who lead with heart, even in the face of adversity. It’s an honor to support their journeys and help remove the financial barriers that too often stand in the way of potential.”

Since its founding, the TramutoPorter Foundation has annually awarded scholarships to students from high schools and higher education institutions including Wells and Bangor High Schools, Boston University School of Public Health, Regis College, Jefferson School of Population Health, St. Joseph’s College, and now Collegio Ghislieri in Italy. In total, more than 100 students have been supported through the Foundation.\

Beyond financial support, scholars are paired with members of the foundation’s board of directors for ongoing mentorship—further reinforcing the Foundation’s mission to build a generation of compassionate, resilient leaders.

“At its core, this scholarship program is about more than just access—it’s about belief,” added Jeffrey Porter, co-founder of the Foundation. “We believe in these students. We believe in their ability to lead, to heal, and to drive change. That’s why we invest in their future.”