![\"Raylene](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/media-old\/2011\/09\/Raylene-Casey-Sousa-newsroom.jpg\")
\nNorthern Essex Community College student Raylene Casey Sousa of Amesbury was recently awarded the Joseph L. LeBlanc Memorial Scholarship, named for the late long-time Bradford resident and father of NECC Professor Joseph T. LeBlanc, the former coordinator of the college\u2019s journalism program and faculty adviser to the Observer, the NECC student newspaper. Joseph L. LeBlanc died Nov. 14, 2010.<\/p>\n
Casey Sousa, a local professional hair designer, enrolled in Northern Essex Community College to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. A 1980 graduate of Amesbury High School, this single mother will graduate in May 2012 with an associate degree in liberal arts: writing option.<\/p>\n
She was nominated for the scholarship by NECC English professor Terry Cargan, who labeled Casey Sousa\u2019s performance in two of Cargan\u2019s online classes as \u201cexemplary\u201d. \u201cShe\u2019s proven herself to be not only highly intelligent and creative, but also to be consistently eager to learn and to exceed assignment requirements. These qualities alone, have made her a strong role model for her classmates\u2026her generosity to her fellow students has been outstanding\u2026The information she provides in each case is insightful, thorough, well-written and sensitively worded.\u201d<\/p>\n