The Island Institute announced the 2009 Maine Island Scholarship awards, which will provide $130,000 in college scholarships to 96 island students who are pursuing post-secondary studies at colleges, universities and vocational/technical schools in Maine and around the country.

Awards range from $250 to $6,000 and represent the Island Institute’s ongoing commitment to help island families keep pace with rising college tuition costs. This year’s awards bring the total amount of scholarships awarded since 1990 to more than $650,000.

The 2009 Maine Island Scholars are:

Chebeague Island: Denis Johnson, Thomas Damon, Arianna Stefanilo, Danielle Rich, Joshua Doughty, Viktoria Johnson, Darya Johnson and John Summa.

Cranberry Isles: Heather Spurling, Emily Thomas, Christina Spurling and Seth Gray.

Frenchboro: Joseph Charpentier.

Great Diamond Island: Brenden Myers and Anne Bartlett.

Islesboro: Olivia Boucher, Emily Thomas, Colin Schmidt, Sarah Cowles, Leila Pike, Thomas Tutor, David Sherman, Andrew Coombs, Erica Hatch, Brittney Pendleton, Heather Gebhardt, Joel Grindle, Caitlin Anderson, Sally Smith, Nathan Gorham, Luke Thomas, Jonathon Cunningham, Shawna Johnston and Juan Coronado.

Long Island: Justin Papkee and Chomba Kaluba.

Matinicus: Lydia Twombly-Hussey.

North Haven: Ian Hopkins, Amilia Campbell, Conor Curtain, Ashley Hodder, Kelsey Jones, Kelsi Ruffolo and Emmett Hodder.

Peaks Island: Wesley Norton, Cooper Van Vranken, Mark Kinner, Giovanni Morabito, Charles Friedman, Shellbe Flynn, Molly Radis, Michael Whitman, Sarah Cannon, Emmett Huber, Echo Presgraves, Ella Shaw, Erica DeMichele, Kimberly Morse, Lily Kole-Berlingieri, Sophia Presgraves, Jennifer Mulkern, Nathaniel Walden and Alexander Kinner.

Swans: Kyle Staples, Anna Joy, Andrew Joyce and Nevora LeMoine.

Vinalhaven: Keith Drury, Chad Guildford, Sam Rosen, Kathleen Hamilton, Olivia Chilles, Chelsea Guptill, Flora Drury, Corey James, William Olsen, Kayla Conway, Claire Carter, Meagan Davidson, Virgil Cray, Niall Conlan, Emma Rosen, Natalie Conway, Cassandra Young, Alexandra Young, Cassie Bennard, Dana Wentworth, Natalie Reed, Sloane Elwell, Elizabeth Young and Ethan Warren.

Several students received special awards:

Natalie Jones, of North Haven, received the Academic and Community Leadership Scholarship, given to a graduating senior who exemplifies a combination of academic excellence and community leadership.

Cooper Van Vranken, of Peaks Island, received the Sweet Scholarship, awarded to a graduating senior who has excellent academic standing.

Brenden Meyers, of Great Diamond Island, received the new 21st Century Scholarship, awarded to a college upperclassman focusing on a science, technology, engineering and/or math career.

Flora Drury and Keith Drury, both of Vinalhaven, received Otter Island Scholarships, awarded to students of good academic standing attending specific colleges around the country.

Danielle Rich, of Chebeague, and Virgil Cray, of Vinalhaven, both received scholarships from the Shaw Fund for Mariners’ Children.

Justin Papkee, of Peaks Island, received the Seth Jordan Memorial Fund Scholarship which is awarded to a graduating senior of extremely high academic standing in Casco Bay.